A Nashville jury will hear a complicated lawsuit over samples used by the late Notorious B.I.G. on his 1994 album, Ready to Die.
Music publisher Bridgeport Music Inc., and its sister company, Westbound Records, filed a copyright infringement suit in Nashville federal court against the estate of the late rapper, born Christopher Wallace, Bad Boy Records and Universal Records, AllHipHop.com reported.
The suit claims B.I.G. illegally incorporated "Singing in the Morning" by the Ohio Players and Horny Horns' "Up for the Down Stroke," in two of his raps on the album.
Attorneys for Bad Boy and Universal argued before the judge last week "Singing in the Morning" was recorded before songs had federal copyright protection, AllHipHop.com said.
Bridgeport and Westbound attorney Richard Busch maintained the publisher does have a federal copyright on the song along with hundreds of other 1970s funk recordings.
Bridgeport has filed 477 similar lawsuits since 2001 but this will be the first to go to trial if a settlement is not reached by March.
Music publisher Bridgeport Music Inc., and its sister company, Westbound Records, filed a copyright infringement suit in Nashville federal court against the estate of the late rapper, born Christopher Wallace, Bad Boy Records and Universal Records, AllHipHop.com reported.
The suit claims B.I.G. illegally incorporated "Singing in the Morning" by the Ohio Players and Horny Horns' "Up for the Down Stroke," in two of his raps on the album.
Attorneys for Bad Boy and Universal argued before the judge last week "Singing in the Morning" was recorded before songs had federal copyright protection, AllHipHop.com said.
Bridgeport and Westbound attorney Richard Busch maintained the publisher does have a federal copyright on the song along with hundreds of other 1970s funk recordings.
Bridgeport has filed 477 similar lawsuits since 2001 but this will be the first to go to trial if a settlement is not reached by March.