Donna Summer’s estate’s Kanye West copyright lawsuit dismissed
Written by worldOneFm on June 25, 2024
Kanye West and Donna Summer’s estate have reached an agreement concerning the “illegal” use of ‘I Feel Love’ on the controversial rapper’s ‘Vultures 1’ album.
The ‘Stronger’ hitmaker, 47, used an unauthorised interpolation of the late singer’s 1977 hit ‘I Feel Love’ on ‘Good (Don’t Die)’, which features on his and 42-year-old Ty Dolla $ign’s joint LP, and was released independently by Ye’s YZY brand on February 10, 2024.
The song features the lyrics: “Oh, I’m alive, I’m alive, I’m alive, I’m alive” set to the melody of the classic track from the Queen of Disco, who died in 2012 aged 63.
A statement shared on the Instagram Story of Donna’s account earlier this year read: “Kanye West… asked permission to use Donna Summer’s song I Feel Love, he was denied… he changed the words, had someone re sing it or used AI but it’s I Feel Love… copyright infringement!!!(sic)”
As a result, the pair were hit with a copyright infringement lawsuit by Summer’s widow, Bruce Sudano, who accused them of “shamelessly” re-recording the “instantly recognisable” part of the hit.
After it was recently revealed that a settlement was reached, the case has been dismissed with prejudice. However, no information regarding the settlement has been made public.
Kanye was also hit with a separate copyright claim by Black Sabbath’s Ozzy Osbourne.
The 75-year-old frontman of the legendary heavy metal group accused him of sampling Sabbath classic ‘War Pigs’ on the album without permission.
Ozzy fumed on X: “.@kanyewest ASKED PERMISSION TO SAMPLE A SECTION OF A 1983 LIVE PERFORMANCE OF “WAR PIG” FROM THE US FESTIVAL WITHOUT VOCALS WAS REFUSED PERMISSION BECAUSE HE IS AN ANTISEMITE AND HAS CAUSED UNTOLD HEARTACHE TO MANY. HE WENT AHEAD AND USED THE SAMPLE ANYWAY AT HIS ALBUM LISTENING PARTY LAST NIGHT. I WANT NO ASSOCIATION WITH THIS MAN! (sic).”
His wife and manager, Sharon Osbourne, 71, later added on her own account: “The Osbourne family have never wanted any association with Kanye West. He is an anti-Semitic fool who spews his rhetoric out into the world, Kanye you [messed] with the wrong dude this time. Sincerely, Sharon Osbourne.”
Although Ozzy said permission was requested for ‘War Pigs’, the song he seemed to use at his Chicago listening party was ‘Iron Man’.
