Oyewole v. Ora

291 F. Supp. 3d 422
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Illinois
DecidedMarch 7, 2018
Docket16–CV–1912 (AJN)
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 291 F. Supp. 3d 422 (Oyewole v. Ora) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Oyewole v. Ora, 291 F. Supp. 3d 422 (S.D. Ill. 2018).

Opinion

ALISON J. NATHAN, District Judge:

Plaintiff Abiodun Oyewole alleges copyright infringement by Defendants. Defendants Kobalt Music Ltd. ("Kobalt Music)" and Downtown Music Publishing LLC ("Downtown Music") move to dismiss for insufficient process and insufficient service of process. Twelve of the other Defendants move to dismiss the complaint for failure to state a claim. For the reasons that follow, the motions are granted.

I. BACKGROUND

a. The Original Work: "When the Revolution Comes"

Oyewole is a founding member of the spoken-word group The Last Poets. In that role, Oyewole created the song "When the Revolution Comes" in 1968. Dkt. No. 91 (FAC) at ¶¶ 1-4. The song, a poem *426warning of a coming revolution when "guns and rifles will be taking the place of poems and essays," has a back track that consists of a drum beat and chants. Dkt No. 73, Ex. G (Revolution Audio); Dkt. No. 73, Ex. J (Revolution Lyrics). The revolution that The Last Poets describe has clear racial dimensions. When the revolution comes, the Poets predict, "Black cultural centers will [be] forts supplying the revolutionaries with food and arms," and "White death will froth the walls of museums and churches breaking the lies that enslaved our mothers." Revolution Lyrics. At the end of the song, the instrumental backing stops, and together the performers chant,

When the revolution comes afros gone be trying to straighten their heads and straightened heads gone be tryin' to wear afros
When the revolution comes
When the revolution comes
When the revolution comes
But until then you know and I know n*****s will party and bullshit and party and bullshit and party and bullshit and party and bullshit and party...
Some might even die before the revolution comes.

Revolution Lyrics (ellipsis in original). According to Oyewole, the "sole purpose" of the lyrics is to "challenge[ ] and encourage[ ] people to NOT waste time with 'party and bullshit,' but to move towards success." FAC at ¶ 39.

Oyewole contends that he is the owner of copyright EU 188915 for the musical composition of "When the Revolution Comes." FAC at ¶ 2. However, the application for registration of copyright EU 188915 lists Douglas Music Corporation as the copyright claimant, though it lists "Abiodun Oyewole c/o Douglas Music Corp." as the author. Dkt. No. 73, Ex. D (EU 188915 Application). According to Oyewole, "Douglas Music Corporation's interest in the work of Abiodun Oyewole ceased in 1968 and all rights reverted to [Oyewole]." FAC at ¶ 5. Oyewole also states that he filed a "Notice of Copyright Use" for "When the Revolution Comes," and that in 1996, he registered copyrights for a compact disk recording of "When the Revolution Comes" and for a book that contained the lyrics of "When the Revolution Comes." FAC at ¶¶ 6, 8.

b. The Secondary Works: "Party and Bullshit" and "Party"

In 1993, Christopher Wallace, better known as "The Notorious B.I.G." or "Biggie Smalls," released the song "Party and Bullshit." FAC at ¶¶ 12-13. The song celebrates Wallace's hip hop lifestyle. It begins with Wallace rapping, "I was a terror since the public school era / Bathroom passes, cuttin' classes, squeezing asses / Smoking blunts was a daily routine / Since thirteen, a chubby n***a on the scene." Dkt. No. 73, Ex. K (B.I.G. Lyrics). The song continues, "Honeys want to chat / But all we wanna know is 'Where the party at?,' / And can I bring my gat?" before eventually leading into the chorus: "Dumbing out, just me and my crew / Cause all we want to do is... / Party... and bullshit, and..." B.I.G. Lyrics (ellipses in original). The chorus repeats the phrase "party... and bullshit, and..." nine times. B.I.G. Lyrics.

In 2012, Rita Ora released the pop song "How We Do (Party)," which begins, "And party and bullshit / And party and bullshit / And party and bullshit / And party, and party." Dkt. No. 62, Ex. F (Ora Lyrics). The song begins with Ora waking up and asking, "What went on last night?" Ora Lyrics. She then sings to her partner, "You look so sweet while you're dreaming (yeah) / Holding your bottle of Tanqueray (yeah) / It isn't even the weekend / Baby, that's how I know you're the one for me." Ora Lyrics. Later, Ora further describes her relationship:

*427'Cause when the sun sets baby
On the avenue
I get that drunk sex feeling
Yeah, when I'm with you
So put your arms around me, baby
We're tearing up the town
'Cause that's just how we do
We got that sweet, hot loving
Dancing in the dark
Out in the streets we're running
Shut down every bar
So put your arms around me, baby
We're tearing up the town
'Cause that's just how we do.

Ora Lyrics. The song repeats the lines, "I wanna party and bullshit / And party and bullshit / And party and bullshit / And party, and party" several times throughout the song. Ora Lyrics.

According to Oyewole, the use of the phrase "party and bullshit" in "Party and Bullshit" and in "Party" was intended to "contraven[e]" the "original purpose" of the phrase as used in "When the Revolution Comes," which was to discourage people from partaking in "party and bullshit." FAC at ¶ 39. Oyewole did not give Defendants permission to use the words "party and bullshit," and, given that Defendants intended to contravene the words' original purpose, they would not have received Oyewole's permission had they sought it. FAC at ¶ 39.

c. The Instant Litigation

On March 14, 2016, Oyewole filed suit against Defendants alleging that "Party and Bullshit" and "Party" infringe on Oyewole's copyright for "When the Revolution Comes." See Dkt. No. 1. In response to several motions to dismiss, Oyewole filed an amended complaint on September 1, 2016. FAC.

Defendants are individuals and entities who performed, composed, produced, published, or distributed "Party and Bullshit" or "Party."1 Oyewole claims that Defendants "publish[ed] and distribute[d]" the "crescendo, hook, text, lyrics and sound" of "When the Revolution Comes" without authorization to do so, that they used and sampled Oyewole's "sound hook and lyrics," and that they "wrongfully appropriated and exploited the punch line, performance, lyrics, poem, rhythmic line, and text." FAC at ¶¶ 35, 37, 42, 44. Specifically, Oyewole contends that "Party and Bullshit" samples "When the Revolution Comes" and remixes the refrain "party and bullshit" without authorization,2 FAC at ¶ 13, and that "Party" "borrow[s] the refrain, punch line, crescendo, and text hook 'Party and Bullshit' coined by" Oyewole in "When the Revolution Comes," FAC at ¶ 19. Oyewole seeks to prevent any further infringement of the "copyrighted coined hook rap phrase 'Party and Bullshit' by Defendants." FAC at ¶ 43.

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291 F. Supp. 3d 422, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/oyewole-v-ora-ilsd-2018.