Hotwire The Producer, born Eddie Lee Richardson, a rising hip-hop musician, sued French Montana earlier this year for copyright infringement.
Richardson is suing for $5 million after claiming that the performer sampled him on “Ain’t Worried About Nothin'” without authorization. Fortunately for French Montana, he won the lawsuit earlier this week, but the judge’s decision came with some questionable remarks.
READ MORE: Songwriter Claims That French Montana Didn’t Clear A Sample When He Was Sued For Copyright
The complaint was dismissed by Illinois federal Judge Nancy L. Maldonado, who offered Richardson some words of encouragement. According to her, French Montana only received a “technical win,” and he “should not claim [it] as a substantive victory.”
“If it is any consolation, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and the Court hopes that Richardson will not be deterred in his musical endeavors, now armed with a better understanding of copyright law,” Maldonado wrote in her opinion. “As it is, though, Richardson’s evidence in this particular case is insufficient to establish copyright infringement.”
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“Unfortunately for Richardson, his express admission in this case that he has only a sound recording copyright, and not one for a musical composition, means that he does not have exclusive rights in the generic sounds or melodies of HPW,” she goes on to say. Maldonado maintains that if Richardson had registered for copyright to his musical creation, her decision “might have been very different.” She goes on to say that “In that case, Richardson’s expert evidence as to the similarity of the ‘sounds’ or melodies of the songs likely would have been enough to send this case to trial… But with a sound recording registration only, Richardson’s means for establishing infringement are much more limited.”
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