Lil' Wayne Sued for "How to Love" Beat
Rapper Lil' Wayne has been sued for allegedly stealing the "How to Love" beat from another rapper, Rich Rick.
Rick has filed suit against the rapper and producers Drummer Boyz.
Rick says that he owns the rights to the beat since he bought it straight from Drummer Boyz. He says that Drummer Boyz then went behind his back and pitched the beat to Lil Wayne.
Rick says that Drummer Boyz then got a 35% royalty agreement with Lil' Wayne, while he got nothing, reports Aceshowbiz.
Now, Rich Rick is suing for a slice of the profits from the song.
Since the lawsuit is essentially based on who owns the rights to the beat, it's likely that the court will have to analyze whatever contracts they had, if any. While written contracts are generally easier to prove in a court of law, oral contracts can also be enforceable.
So, even if Rick doesn't have a written contract for the sale of the master recordings there's still a chance that he will prevail in his case.
Lil' Wayne, however, is no stranger to intellectual property law. And, at the very least, at the end of the year he might be getting a really good primer on the basics of copyright infringement law and contracts law as a result of his own legal problems.
This case marks the second time the rapper has been accused of copyright infringement in 2011 alone.
Earlier this month, a Georgia production company claimed that Lil' Wayne stole their song, "BedRock." They sued the rapper for $15 million, and Lil' Wayne is set to appear in court on October 12th to defend against the copyright infringement charges.
But, now that Lil' Wayne has been sued for the "How to Love" beat, it seems official. This year is not the best legal year for the rapper otherwise known as "Weezy."
Related Resources:
- Lil Wayne Sued Over Use Of "How To Love" Beat (Hip Hop Wired)
- Lil' Wayne Lawsuit Dismissed: "The Carter" Released (FindLaw's Celebrity Justice)
- Rap Superstar Lil' Wayne Caught with Contraband in Prison (FindLaw's Celebrity Justice)