Don’t Be Tardy For the Court Date!: RHOA’s Kandi Burruss Sues Kim Zolciak
The most surprising thing about this lawsuit is how long it took to get underway. After episodes of drama on The Real Housewives of Atlanta (RHOA), regarding Kim Zolciak’s “Tardy For The Party” and her alleged failure to pay co-writer Kandi Burruss, many viewers were just waiting to see if Kandi would take legal action. According to Radar Online, Burruss, who co-wrote the song, filed suit in Atlanta alleging copyright infringement. Rodney Richard, the other co-writer of the track, also filed a lawsuit against Zolciak. What is copyright infringement? Basically, it occurs when someone steals your song; they have infringed on your copyright (meaning that they have used it without your permission.) Case in point, the filed court documents state:
“Without Plaintiffs’ authorization, license or consent, Plaintiffs’ Sound Recording embodying a performance of Plaintiffs’ Composition was commercially released as a single record… on or around, September 29, 2009 by Defendant TuneCore in agreement with Defendant Zolciak. Defendants marketed and sold the Infringing Single in various formats (e.g., compact disc, downloadable audio track, DVD, etc) and through various websites, all without Plaintiffs’ license, consent or authorization.”
An array of things can happen with a successful copyright infringement suit. Here is a non-exhaustive list: (1) You can get the fair market value of the use they made; (2) You can recover the infringer’s profits; (3) You can get an injunction (the court prohibits the infringer from using the infringing work); (4) The court can order destruction or seizure of any infringing copies; (5) Criminal penalties can be imposed (if the infringement is intentional). In this case, the lawsuit seeks an accurate account of how much money the song has made, which I’m assuming is for the purpose of calculating the fair market value that Zolciak made off the use of “Tardy for the Party.” The suit also seeks a restraining order against future sales (a.k.a. the aforementioned injunction remedy), and a request for the “destruction of all copies of the Infringing Single and any other product of Defendants that infringe Plaintiffs copyrights.” In due time, we’ll see whether or not Burruss and her attorney in this case, RHOA’s Phaedra Parks, will come out victorious in this lawsuit.
(Nigerian Artists = See AML’s Waje v. P-Square Copyright Infringement Lawsuit for Joint Author Breakdown.
American Artists = See AML’s Ex-Girlfriend v. Drake in Marvin Copyright Infringement Suit
Ghanaian Artists = See AML’s RnM Split with Singer Deniece Williams)
(Sources: BravoTv.com; Radar Online)
The Kleek: Universal Music Group, Samsung Launch New Music Service in Africa
Great news AML readers! Vivendi’s Universal Music Group sees the potential to develop music stars and reach more music fans across Africa. Late last week, UMG unveiled a pan-African mobile music streaming service in partnership with Samsung and African international music labels. The service is called The Kleek and it will be free (initially). It’s designed to bring fans across the continent their favorite music AND give artists access to a pan- African audience. Max Hole, chairman and CEO of UMG International stated:
“By investing in The Kleek we’re providing a platform for the very best of African talent to reach a wider audience,” said Max Hole, chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group International. “With the explosion of smartphones and other mobile devices, The Kleek has the potential to attract tens of millions of music fans across Africa…”
Samsung will be the exclusive smartphone partner for the service for the first two years. I’m excited to see the impact that The Kleek will have on developing future stars from across the Africa.
(Source: Atlantablackstar.com)
Twitter Develops Music App!
Last week, Twitter revealed that they will be launching their own music application. The company recently purchased We Are Hunted, which is a music service, and the app will be made specifically for iOS devices. The Guardian reported that users will be able to comment on their favorite songs and they can even elect to constantly stay in the loop on what their favorite musicians are working on at the moment. Soundcloud, a music sharing service, will be the platform powering this exciting app. This expansion is a smart move for Twitter seeing as though there are tweets galore regarding music artists, events, and news on their website.
(Source: TechZone360.com)
Beyoncé’s “Bow Down” Ruffles Feathers
Queen or King B’s new track “Bow Down/ I Been On” has sparked some controversy. When I first saw the title of the track, my first thought was, “Who are you? Pssh, you’re not God,” and I thought about how the Illuminati conspiracy team would have a field day. Then, I got caught up in the crazy production by Hit Boy; the beat is bananas. Anyway, after listening to the lyrics, I realized that Beyoncé must finally feel like showing a different side; it’s a throwback to her Houston days before she was ridiculously famous…before her fans “knew her.” We all have this idea about who Beyoncé is and about who all these celebrities are, but we don’t really know jack. The same can be said about “everyday” people we interact with; you may never get the full story. Despite her efforts to become more transparent over the years, we still can’t bust through that hive. And let’s be real, Life is But A Dream didn’t shed much light on Beyoncé. She still possessed her picture perfect Disney princess persona. This song was an opportunity for her to let her ego run wild and proclaim to any naysayers that despite being a wife and new mom, she is and will continue to be at the top of the game. I get the controversy since the lyrics clash with her “Run The World”/girl power/uplift women movement:
“I know when you were little girls/You dreamt of being in my world/ Don’t forget it/ Respect that/ Bow down b—-es/ Don’t get it twisted this is my sh-t,”
Don’t fret though people; I’m sure she’ll revert back to her politically correct self in due time. And for those who ever doubted that Beyoncé has a different side, check out the video below to see her competitive, cockier side. I could easily imagine “this Beyoncé” singing over the trap beat of “Bow Down/I Been On”:
(See AML’s Ollachi Holman’s brilliant article on B’s song)
Save The Date!: Calabar International Jazz Festival
Those who flock to Calabar for the 1st Annual Calabar International Jazz Festival are in for a treat. Preparations are underway for this first ever annual festival which will take place from March 29-March 31. The festival is being organized by Destination Cross River, the brand which is already well known for the famous Calabar Festival held in December. This three day festival is expected to feature foreign and local artists including: D’Angelo, Eric Benet, Asa, Darey Art Alade, Bez, Jonathan Butler and Burna Boy. In addition to the concerts, there will be fun day-time activities and tours, fabulous VIP after-parties, and an opportunity to sample some of the local delicacies which have led to Calabar being acclaimed the “best kitchen in the country.”
DATE: March 29th, 2013
TIME: 7pm
VENUE: Cultural Centre, Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria.
ARTISTS PERFORMING: D’Angelo, Asa, Darey, Bez
DATE: March 30th, 2013
TIME: 7pm
VENUE: Cultural Centre, Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria.
ARTISTS PERFORMING: Eric Benet, Jonathan Butler, Burna Boy
DATE: March 31st, 2013
TIME: 7pm
VENUE: Millennium Park, Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria.
ARTISTS PERFORMING: Darey, Bez, Burna Boy
Tickets and all-inclusive travel packages to Calabar (flights, hotel, concert tickets, after-parties and ground transfers) will be available soon from www.afritickets.com
(Source: Vanguard)
-UBU
