It is not uncommon for Kanye West to face copyright lawsuits. He has previously faced several, accused of using music without permission.
But he often reached out-of-court settlements with the parties. The Alice Merton case was the latest one.
According to the Complex, Gun on My Head, a track by West, Kid Cudi, and Ty Dolla $ign, sampled parts of Merton’s 2022 track Blindside.
Ye’s representative approached Merton on Feb. 15, 2024, for permission to use the sample.
However, the German-Canadian singer refused to allow her track to be used as a sample.
Still, allegedly, West did so for the song which featured on Vultures 2 Digital Deluxe.
This led Merton and two German music publishers to file a copyright lawsuit against West and his record label, Yeezy.
But apparently what Merton did not expect was the severe response she received, according to her, from Ye’s fanbase, including death threats.
West allegedly did not stop the singer’s harassment, whose descendants are Holocaust survivors.
Ye’s attorneys, however, challenged the claims Merton made in its filing. But both parties reached an out-of-court settlement on Nov. 6.
However, in the latest ruling by US District Judge Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha, he stated that if the settlement terms are not honoured within 90 days, the case could be reopened.
Meanwhile, it is unclear what the settlement clauses are because they have not been publicly disclosed.
