LOS ANGELES — Jeanie Buss went to court Friday to stop what her attorneys call an attempt by brothers Jim and Johnny Buss to oust her as controlling owner and president of the Los Angeles Lakers, an allegation the brothers’ attorneys say has no basis in reality. More
SiriusXM and The Turtles may have settled their dispute on the eve of a California federal trial, but it seems a new fight has emerged over attorneys’ fees because of a disagreement over the interpretation of their deal. More
When attorneys for Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke appealed the controversial jury verdict against the “Blurred Lines” creators, hundreds of artists rallied behind them. Now it’s Marvin Gaye’s family that’s seeing an outpouring of support. More
Jay Z and Timbaland won big last fall during a copyright trial over “Big Pimpin,'” but their attorneys are on the offensive again, claiming an appeal of the decision is filled with illegitimate grievances and exacerbated by a reference to the KKK.
The legal battle began in 2007, when the heir of Egyptian composer Baligh Hamdy sued the duo, along with just about every individual and company associated with the 1999 song. The heir, Osama Fahmy, claimed “Big Pimpin'” infringed on his rights to Hamdy’s 1957 song “Khosara Khosara” by sampling it without permission.
Last fall, U.S. District Judge Christina Snyder stopped the trial before the jury could deliberate, finding Fahmy didn’t have standing to pursue the claims because he had given up his rights in the work. In February, she entered her final judgment and dismissed the suit with prejudice.
Fahmy appealed the ruling in August. In a 64-page opening brief, attorney Keith Wesley argues that the district court erred in finding Fahmy lacked standing to sue.
Wesley says Fahmy licensed “Khosara Khosara” to another Egyptian man named Mohsen Jaber, but reserved the right to approve derivative works — albeit through Egyptian law instead of…