Hans Zimmer ‘12 Years a Slave’ copyright suit dropped

German composer Hans Zimmer has received an apology from fellow composer Richard Friedman following a failed copyright infringement claim.

Friedman sued Zimmer for copyright infringement in a case surrounding Zimmer’s composition used in the film “12 Years a Slave”.

The suit was filed at the US District Court for the Central District of California, Western Division in January last year. In March, Friedman filed an amended complaint.

In the suit, Friedman claimed that Zimmer’s composition infringed copyright he owns for a track used in the soundtrack to the film “To Our Fallen”.

Friedman said the main theme tune, the closing credits and eleven other “musical cues” in “12 Years a  Slave” were infringing. He was seeking damages, attorney’s fees and a trial by jury.

According to Billboard, Friedman has dropped the suit, and said in a letter to Zimmer: “I sincerely apologise to you [Zimmer] for bringing the lawsuit and for the time and expense you incurred in its defence.”

The case was dismissed on Wednesday, August 24.

Zimmer told Billboard: “I hope this case’s successful conclusion will persuade other artists who face similar claims that justice can be achieved. I also hope that this dismissal will discourage other plaintiffs who may be motivated by recent high-profile music copyright lawsuits from filing meritless infringement claims.”

“12 Years a Slave” was released in 2013 and follows a man who is abducted and sold in to slavery. It won three Academy Awards.