Back in February, we reported that the estate of American singer-songwriter, Donna Summer (“Summer’s Estate”) had issued proceedings against Ye, formerly known as Kanye West. Summer’s Estate alleged that Ye had infringed the copyright which vests in the late singer’s 1977 song ‘I Feel Love’ by sampling parts of the hit in his album ‘Vultures 1’.
However, according to court records filed on 20 June, the parties have now “entered into a settlement agreement that is a full and final settlement of all of the claims in action”.
The disputed song from Ye’s ‘Vultures 1’ album was removed from streaming services in February however, legal representatives of Summer’s Estate have now confirmed that Ye has “agreed not to distribute or otherwise use the song”. The remainder of the settlement agreement remains confidential.
This is not the first time that Ye has faced criticism for sampling other musicians without permission on the ‘Vultures 1’ album, as Ozzy Osbourne has previously complained about Ye’s sampling of a Black Sabbath song.
If you have any questions on the above, please do not hesitate to contact the team at McDaniels Law on 0191 281 4000 or legal@mcdanielslaw.com.
