Donna Summer’s estate files lawsuit against Kanye West for allegedly plagiarizing I Feel Love
Kanye West is facing a lawsuit from the estate of the late US singer Donna Summer for allegedly using parts of her music without permission in his new album.
This comes after Ozzy Osbourne recently claimed that West used a Black Sabbath sample without permission, despite being told no. Osbourne even called West an “antisemite.”
The lawsuit alleges that West requested permission to sample Summer’s hit song “I Feel Love” but proceeded to use it without approval after the estate explicitly denied the request. Ty Dolla $ign, also known as Tyrone Griffin, is named in the lawsuit filed by Summer’s husband, Bruce Sudano, in California.
The lawsuit claims that West and Griffin used recognizable parts of Summer’s song in their track “Good (Don’t Die)” despite the estate rejecting their proposal due to West’s controversial history.
Court documents allege that the estate denied the clearance of the song on 31 January, but the album was released on 10 February. Representatives for West and Griffin also approached Summer’s record label for clearance of the master recording, which was also denied.
The song was streamed millions of times before being removed from platforms like Spotify, iTunes, and Apple Music, and West and Griffin have performed it at live concerts with millions of online views.
Read more from Sky News:
Ja Rule denied entry to the UK – days before tour starts
Queer Eye reveals new cast member for next season
The estate is seeking maximum damages of $150,000 (£118,000) for each act of infringement.
“It is about protecting Donna Summer’s musical legacy and one of popular music’s most influential songs,” the court documents stated.
Summer, a five-time Grammy winner, passed away in 2012 at the age of 63 and was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame a year later.
Representatives for West and Griffin have not yet commented on the lawsuit.