Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign just settled a federal copyright infringement lawsuit brought against them by Bruce Sudano, Donna Summer’s second husband and the executor of her estate.
Pitchfork reported, the lawsuit, filed in February, accused the artists of using elements of Summer’s iconic song “I Feel Love” without permission in their track “Good (Don’t Die),” featured on their album Vultures 1.
Get this: court documents filed on June 20 indicate that the case has been dismissed with prejudice, meaning it cannot be refiled. The terms of the settlement have not been disclosed.
Sudano’s lawsuit claimed that West and Ty Dolla $ign had requested clearance to use the 1977 hit but were denied by the estate and Universal Music Enterprises. Despite this, they allegedly used the song’s melody as the hook for “Good (Don’t Die)”. They re-recorded recognizable portions of “I Feel Love” with a soundalike singer, slightly changing the lyrics without permission.
If you’re trying to hear the tune, ”Good (Don’t Die)” was initially available on digital streaming platforms as part of Vultures 1 but has mostly been unavailable for some time.
When Pitchfork contacted Stanton “Larry” Stein, an attorney for Bruce Sudano, declined to comment. Pitchfork also contacted the attorneys for Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign for further information but has not yet received a response.
Settlements are usually a good thing. Too bad it had to get there for all parties involved.