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Yellowcard have resumed their £11.5million ($15million) infringement lawsuit against the late rapper Juice WRLD.
The pop punk group, who disbanded in 2017, filed a complaint in October 2019 in which they claim the rapper plagiarised parts of their 2006 song ‘Holly Wood Died’ in his hit ‘Lucid Dreams’.
Filed on October 21, the complaint also named co-writer Taz Taylor, producer Nick Mira, and the associated publishing groups and record labels.
Yellowcard highlighted alleged similarities between the two songs, submitting a chart outlining hooks, melodies, vocal melodies and melodic idiosyncrasy. The band is suing for damages, past and future royalties for the song, as well as profits from Juice WRLD’s tours.
“The high degree of objective similarity between the Original Work and the Infringing Work extends well beyond the possibility of coincidence and could only reasonably be the result of an act of copying,” the band said in a statement.
Yellowcard had initially halted proceedings in December 2019 following the death of Juice WRLD – real name Jarad Higgins – at age 21. They resumed proceedings to sue the rapper a week later.
- Read more: Juice WRLD, 1998-2019 – the NME obituary
Proceedings were suspended a second time in February of this year when United States District Judge Consuelo B. Marshall agreed to stay court proceedings until an administrator for Juice WRLD’s estate could be named.
The legal battle was halted again in April due to the coronavirus outbreak.
As reported by XXL today (July 8), Juice WRLD’s mother, Carmela Wallace, has now been appointed by the probate court as “personal representative for the Estate”.
According to XXL, court documents were again filed on July 2. The trial will resume with Ms Wallace participating in the case.
“The court has reviewed parties’ joint status report re: probate proceedings which states the probate court has appointed Carmela Wallace as personal representative for the Higgins’ Estate,” the court filing reads, adding that the “stay is lifted.”
“The Estate has engaged separate counsel to initiate probate proceedings in Florida, one purpose of which was to appoint a personal representative to act on its behalf in this lawsuit,” the document states.
“Probate counsel has informed Defendants’ counsel that the probate court has appointed Carmela Wallace as personal representative for the Estate. Consequently, the Estate now can participate in this case.”
Court documents reveal that Higgins’ estate is seeking legal counsel to continue court proceedings in Florida.
Juice WRLD’s posthumous third studio album, ‘Legends Never Die’, will be released on July 10. It is set to feature a collaboration with Halsey as well as the rapper’s first posthumous single ‘Righteous’, released in April.
Collaborative singles between the rapper and the likes of Ellie Goulding, Trippie Redd and The Kid Laroi have also been released in the wake of his death.
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