News

Nicki Minaj Wins Over Tracy Chapman’s Copyright Dispute

This case on Nicki Minaj committing copyright infringement has been going around for a long while now. Finally, the judge has made up their mind and the judge is in favor of Nicki Minaj. This makes Nicki Minaj won the highly anticipated case and she is proven not guilty of committing copyright infringement when she created a song based on Tracy Chapman’s “Baby Can I Hold You” in her unreleased song “Sorry” that was supposed to be in Queen album.

The ruling protects the industry practice of developing a new song based on existing material and then seeking a license from the original artist prior to release. U.S. district judge Virginia A. Phillips ruled that Minaj’s experimentation with Chapman’s song constitutes “fair use” and is not copyright infringement.

The rules that are implemented right now protects the practice’s industry to develop a new song that is based on any existing material that has been created before. They are permitted to seek a license from the original artist before the release of the song. The United States district judge Virginia A. Phillips has finally ruled that Nicki Minaj’s attempt to experiment with Tracy Chapman’s song constitutes a “fair use” and it’s never a copyright infringement.

The particular judge stated that “Artists usually experiment with works before seeking licenses from rights holders and rights holders typically ask to see a proposed work before approving a license”. The judge also added, “A ruling uprooting these common practices would limit creativity and stifle innovation within the music industry.”

Nicki Minaj’s attorneys mentioned that “Such free-flowing creativity is important to all recording artists, but particularly in hip hop”, the attorney also added, “With that category of music, a recording artist typically goes into the studio and experiments with dozens of different ‘beats’ or snippets of melodies, before hitting upon a pleasing combination.”

The argument that they come out stated that artists need to be free so that they are able to create something that has an impact on the song even though it is based on existing material. They should not have to worry about any circumstances that they could be sued for such experimentation once they approach the rights-holder for a license.

Sources: Variety.

Adib Mohd

Recent Posts

Toshiba Turns 95 with a Giant Fridge, Big Vibes & A Spot in the Malaysia Book of Records

Who says anniversaries are just cake and candles? For Toshiba’s 95th Anniversary Dealer Convention, it… Read More

20 hours ago

Resorts World Sentosa’s Singapore Oceanarium Introduces New Experiences As Ticket Sales Go Live

Resorts World Sentosa (RWS, 圣淘沙名胜世界) has announced that ticket sales have launched for Singapore Oceanarium… Read More

20 hours ago

Barista Brews at Prices You Won’t Believe Exist

Think handcrafted coffee always comes with a hefty price tag? Think again. Across Malaysia, cafés… Read More

20 hours ago

POCO Introduces POCO F7: Where Futuristic Design Meets Exceptional Power

POCO, a leading technology brand among young tech enthusiasts, today unveiled POCO F7, setting a… Read More

20 hours ago

Proton Owners Hit the Road for Wellness: AG Autoworld x Herbal Farmer Flag Off First-Ever Fun Drive in Johor

What do you get when you mix wellness, good vibes, and 30 Proton cars? A… Read More

20 hours ago

OMSMC Earns Spot in Newsweek’s Global Hospital Rating 2025

Oriental Melaka Straits Medical Centre (OMSMC) has been listed in Newsweek’s Global Hospital Rating 2025,… Read More

1 day ago

This website uses cookies.