A long-standing copyright lawsuit surrounding Jay Z's hit record “Big Pimpin'” will continue to draw out after a California judge refused to dismiss the six-year case.
Jay Z and his record label was hit with the suit back in 2007 by Osama Ahmed Fahmy, who claims the 2000 release violates his uncle Baligh Hamdy's composition Khosara, Khosara, which was released in 1957.
According to WENN, Jay Z's record label bosses at EMI argued that “Big Pimpin'” was protected under a licensing agreement they had made with bosses at Egyptian firm Sout El Phan, which previously co-owned the copyright to Khosara, Khosara, prompting a Los Angeles judge to issue a summary judgment in their favor in 2011.
In spite of this ruling, the licensing agreement with EMI and Sout El Phan expired in 2006, and now U.S. District Judge Christina Snyder has granted Fahmy until March (2014) to determine whether the defendants had willfully broken copyright law after the licensing period had ended.
Proof will result in liability by Jay Z and EMI.
In related news, Jay Z is this year’s Grammy leader with nine nominations. In the upcoming ceremony (2014), he will battle for two nods each in Best Music Video and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration categories, along with being nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, Best Rap Album and Best Recording Package.
