Kanye West Faces Another Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Over Unauthorized Use of Music on 'DONDA' Album
Kanye West, now known as Ye, is yet again facing another lawsuit as DJ Khalil and several other artists have filed a copyright infringement lawsuit over tracks from his 2021 album, "Donda." The lawsuit, initiated by Artist Revenue Advocates in California, claims Ye used compositions from Khalil Abdul-Rahman, Sam Barsh, Dan Seeff, and Josh Mease in the songs "Hurricane" and "Moon" without authorization or payment, however he did credit them as songwriters and producers.
Per Variety, the legal complaint details that the musicians originally created and marketed their work in 2018, including it in a "composer pack" for potential buyers. Ye allegedly requested permission to use these compositions but was denied, yet proceeded to use the work on the album, resulting in significant revenue.
Artist Revenue Advocates is demanding a trial by jury and highlights the substantial earnings from streaming and merchandise sales related to the tracks, claiming that "Hurricane'' and "Moon" have generated millions of dollars from streaming revenue and merchandise sales.
The defendants named in the lawsuit include Universal Music Group, G.O.O.D. Music, and Yeezy LLC. The suit seeks a judicial determination of willful copyright violation, damages, costs, and further relief. This is Ye's second lawsuit regarding copyright issues this year, having recently settled a dispute with Donna Summer’s estate.
