Gabor Presser says one-third of the song that appeared on the Yeezus album, is an unauthorized copy of a 1969 song he wrote when he was in the band Omega
Kanye West is being sued by a prominent Hungarian rock singer and composer, who accused the hip-hop star of sampling one of his best-known compositions without permission for the 2013 song New Slaves.
In a complaint filed late on Friday in US district court in Manhattan, Gabor Presser said one-third of New Slaves, which appeared on the No 1 album Yeezus, is an unauthorized copy of Gyongyhaju Lany, a 1969 song he wrote when he was in the band Omega.
Presser described his song, which roughly translates in English as Pearls in Her Hair, as one of the most beloved pop songs ever in Hungary and across eastern Europe. He is seeking at least $2.5m in damages for copyright infringement.
Lawyers for West and co-defendant Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, a joint venture between Sony Corp and the estate of pop star Michael Jackson, did not immediately respond on Monday to requests for comment.
Presser said he had no inkling his song was being used until Wests lawyer emailed him soon after marketing began, indicating that West would like to work out a deal with you as soon as possible and giving him 24 hours to respond.
Wests lawyers later sent Presser a $10,000 check and insisted that he grant a license. But Presser never cashed the check, the complaint said.
Kanye West knowingly and intentionally misappropriated plaintiffs composition, the complaint said. After his theft was discovered, defendants refused to deal fairly with plaintiff.
It is common for well-known singers to be accused of stealing song ideas from the original composers. For example, in another prominent case, Led Zeppelin lead singer Robert Plant and guitarist Jimmy Page face a 14 June trial in Los Angeles over whether they stole the opening chords for their 1971 classic Stairway to Heaven from a 1967 instrumental.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/may/23/kanye-west-lawsuit-new-slaves-sample
