Kanye West Ordered To Pay Over $400K In ‘Hurricane’ Copyright Case
Kanye West has been ordered to pay more than $400,000 after a jury found him liable for copyright infringement involving an early version of his song Hurricane.The track was first previewed during his 2021 Donda listening party at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.Lawsuit Over Instrumental DemoThe lawsuit centered on claims that West used a one-minute instrumental demo titled “MSD PT2” without proper clearance from the copyright owners.The demo was created by four musicians, who later filed a lawsuit through Artists Revenue Advocates.They argued that their work was used during a public ticketed event without authorization.Financial Breakdown Of The JudgmentThe court ordered Kanye West and Yeezy LLC to each pay $176,153.Yeezy Supply was ordered to pay $41,625, while Mascotte Holdings must pay $44,627.Artists Revenue Advocates ReactBritton Monts of Artists Revenue Advocates described the verdict as a major moment for independent creators.“The underdogs got their day in court,” he said.He also highlighted how difficult it can be for upcoming artistes to challenge high-profile figures.West’s Team Pushes BackWest’s lawyer, Eduardo Martorell, argued that the matter had already been resolved.According to him, the musicians were credited as songwriters and registered for a combined 30 percent share of composition royalties.A spokesperson for West rejected claims that the instrumental was used without clearance, calling the lawsuit a “failed shakedown.”The spokesperson also noted that the final judgment was significantly lower than the $30 million initially demanded.
