Overview
- Ye, who took the stand Wednesday in Los Angeles, told jurors his team followed the normal process to clear an “MSD PT2” sample used in an early “Hurricane” demo.
- Four producers — DJ Khalil, Sam Barsh, Dan Seeff and Josh Mease — say the uncleared master appeared in a version of “Hurricane” played at a July 2021 Donda listening party in Atlanta.
- A federal judge in February dismissed composition claims and limited the case to alleged use of the master recording at the listening event rather than royalties from the final album tracks.
- The plaintiffs, through Artist Revenue Advocates, are seeking about $500,000 tied to the show’s proceeds, including shares of ticket sales, merchandise and a reported Apple Music livestream deal.
- The musicians transferred their rights to ARA, which told the court it acquires copyrights for working artists who cannot afford enforcement, in a case that adds to Ye’s long history of sampling disputes.