Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Against Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Big Freedia, and Others Suddenly Dropped With Prejudice

A live performance from Beyoncé, who, along with Big Freedia and others, is no longer facing a copyright complaint over ‘Break My Soul.’ Photo Credit: Raph_PH

Less than three months after it was submitted, a copyright infringement lawsuit against Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Sony Music, and Big Freedia has been dismissed with prejudice. The development emerged in a newly filed notice of voluntary dismissal from the plaintiffs’ counsel. Said plaintiffs, collectively a New Orleans-based group called Da Showstoppaz, didn’t shed light on the precise reasons for the case’s abrupt withdrawal.

However, the complaint is now in the rearview for “all defendants,” including several others besides those mentioned above, the notice spells out.

As described in the original action, which we covered when it was filed in late May, the plaintiffs said they’d met in 2001, put out a track entitled “Release a Wiggle” for a local mixtape, and then purportedly achieved regional recognition with the work in 2003 and the top of 2004.

Hurricane Katrina and different factors brought about the split of Da Showstoppaz, who had failed to register “Release a Wiggle” at the time of its creation, per the initial suit. (These Copyright Office registrations would arrive in 2022 and 2023, the plaintiffs indicated.)

Roughly a decade later, one of the plaintiffs opted to upload to their personal YouTube channel “Release a Wiggle,” which was soon thereafter allegedly copied without permission in New Orleans-born Big Freedia’s “Explode.” And Beyoncé, for her part, was accused of infringing on the plaintiffs’ work when she sampled “Explode” in Renaissance’s “Break My Soul.”

Notwithstanding this dismissal, we’re hardly without interesting, still-active industry litigation, referring to a growing collection of infringement battles and more.Last month, Warner Music, Cardi B, and others were accused of lifting elements of “Greasy Frybread” sans authorization to create “Enough (Miami).”

Also in July, the Beastie Boys sued the parent company of Chili’s for allegedly using “Sabotage” in a social media promo without a license, while the major labels are litigating against Verizon over an alleged failure to adequately address internet subscribers’ repeat infringement.

And north of a dozen NBA teams are facing suits from Kobalt, Dr. Luke’s Prescription Songs, and more for allegedly incorporating protected works into videos without permission. Not ending there, July’s list of new copyright litigation includes as well singer Gloria Gaynor’s action against her former producer.

In terms of updates concerning existing courtroom confrontations, Daddy Yankee, the Black Eyed Peas, and Sony Music Entertainment moved to dismiss fraud charges in a separate copyright dispute, centering this time on “Bailar Contigo.”