Singer will.i.am may face copyright infringement suit

In the age of the internet, many people in New Jersey may not see anything wrong with downloading a song online and listening to it. What these people may not understand is that the artist has intellectual property rights in that song. Under United States laws, original works are protected by copyrights. These copyrights give the owner of these works the exclusive right to distribute, reproduce, prepare or display the copyrighted material.

In order to use the copyrights, by downloading a song for example, people must get permission from the owner of the copyright. Usually, this means that people must pay for the privilege to use the copyrighted material. If people choose to ignore the copyright then its owner may have a legal claim.

Pop star will.i.am may face litigation over a copyright dispute. Recently, the singer has been accused of stealing another artist’s song and using it on his own new single. Musicians Arty and Mat Zo claim that will.i.am used their song “Rebound” without permission. According to the pair, will.i.am’s new single “Let’s Go” featuring Chris Brown has been produced and distributed despite the fact that it is very similar to “Rebound.”

Will.i.am admits that his song’s foundation is “Rebound,” but has not addressed whether or not he had permission to use the song in the first place. Chris Brown has claims to have no knowledge about either song and has said he frequently lends his voice to productions without even listening to the songs.

At this time, will.i.am is already involved in another copyright infringement case for one of his songs and this could add to his legal troubles. Like the owners of this song, those who own a copyright may have a legal claim if infringement occurs. By vigorously protecting their intellectual property rights, business can ensure that they receive the compensation they should from their intellectual property.

Source: The Huffington Post, “will.i.am ‘Let’s Go’ Copyright Dispute Heats Up As Singer Admits Using Arty & Mat Zo Song,” April 23, 2013