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16 January 2017Copyright

Gwen Stefani and Pharrell Williams named in copyright infringement suit

Singers Gwen Stefani and Pharrell Williams have been targeted in a copyright infringement suit by a US-based resident.

Richard Morrill filed his lawsuit (pdf) against Stefani and Williams at the US District Court for the District of Colorado on Thursday, January 12.

Harajuku Lover Music and Interscope Records are also named as defendants in the suit.

The suit said that Stefani and Williams had directly infringed Morill’s copyright and that the defendants were liable for contributory infringement.

Morrill is a singer and songwriter who used to be in a band called L.A.P.D. He has owned copyright (SR0000777322) for a song, which he wrote, called “Who’s Got My Lightah”, since October last year.

He also registered copyright (SR0000777325) for the sound recording and music for the song last year.

Morrill recorded the song in 1996, and in 2009 he wrote music and lyrics for a new track, “Who’s Got My Lighter”, which was a derivative of his original song.

According to the suit, “Spark the Fire” was released by Stefani in 2014 and was made in collaboration with Williams.

Interscope Records has owned copyright for the song since 2014, and in 2015 the music studio transferred the copyright to Harajuku Lover Music.

Morrill said that the “rhythm, melody, and background music during the chorus of ‘Spark the Fire’ is almost identical to the chorus of ‘Who’s Got My Lighter.’ They are sung in the same key”.

Morill asked for a declaratory judgment against the defendants, damages, pre-judgment interest, profits, costs, attorneys’ fees and a jury trial.

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