Jay Z's "Big Pimpin" Not a Big Infringement, Rules Judge
In a lawsuit against Jay-Z and producer Timbaland over a flute riff in "Big Pimpin,'" a US District Court judge has ruled that the "Egyptian concept of moral rights" does not apply here. The flute riff is from an Egyptian song called "Khosara Khosara" written by Baligh Hamdy. The composer's nephew sued for copyright infringement—he didn't appreciate the tune being used in "Big Pimpin,'" objecting to its vulgar content, says NPR. Although Timbaland paid for the legal rights to the song, the nephew claimed he should be paid for the moral rights. Judge Christina Snyder threw out the case before it reached trial, saying that the nephew didn't have the right to pursue the claim, writes the LA Times. Jay-Z was represented by Andrew Bart, and Timbaland by Christine Lepera. [NPR, LAT]
