If, as the Rick Ross says, "Every day, [he's] hustlin'" ...
Why did it take three full years to sue LMFAO's Redfoo and SkyBlu (plus Kobalt Music Publishing America and Kia Motors America Inc.) for profiting off that famous, Bawsely lyrical phrase?
Maybe he was too busy battling (and beating) drug dealer Freeway Ricky Ross in court over the use of the Rick Ross name. Or maybe he was simply catching up on sleep.
But whatever the cause of this 1000-day delay, Mr. William Leonard Roberts II, along with "Hustlin'" producers Andrew "Dru Brett" Harr and Jermaine "Mayne Zayne" Jackson, finally filed a lawsuit, "seeking damages and injunctive relief for copyright infringement."
See also: Rick Ross Sued Over Unpaid $90,000 Rolex Bill
In the suit, entered onto the Southern District of Florida federal court's docket on New Year's Eve, the Bawse and his co-plaintiffs explain that they're pissed because the LMFAO guys ripped off the "Hustlin'" catchphrase for their 2011 hit "Party Rock Anthem."
Or, as the complaint is phrased in lawyer speak:
"Party Rock Anthem" copies, interpolates the lyrics, underlying music and beat of "Hustlin'" ... despite the slight change from "Everyday I'm hustlin'" to "Everyday I'm shufflin'" and constitutes, inter alia, the creation of an unauthorized derivative work.
And yes, the truly "tortious act" is that Redfoo and SkyBlu never offered creative credit or cash kickbacks:
Defendants knew or should have known that Hustlin' could not be used ina musical work by Defendants without a license therefor, as is customary in the industry,
yet never sought a license or other permission.
Of course, there's also the matter of revenue from "Every day, I'm Shufflin'" merch:
The phrase is so important to the success of "Party Rock Anthem," that LMFAO launched a highly successful clothing line, Party Rock Clothing, that features the phrase on T-shirts and other clothing items.
And finally, what about all the money from that weird car commercial starring chubby, human-sized rodents?
"Party Rock Anthem" has also been licensed by Defendants forcommercial endorsement purposes to KIA Motors for use in widely-distributed video
advertisements featuring hamsters driving the KIA "Soul" automobile, which
advertisements use the highly recognizable hook phrase "Every day I'm shufflin' . . . ," underlying music and beat, as the prominently featured tag line of the advertising
campaign.
The plaintiffs' demands include a full stop to LMFAO's unauthorized "Party Rock Anthem" profiteering, plus lawyer fees and "maximum statutory damages."
As the Bawse would say: Unnnggghhh.
Follow Crossfade on Facebook and Twitter @Crossfade_SFL.
