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10 June 2016Copyright

Beyoncé sued over ‘Lemonade’ trailer

Beyoncé Knowles has been sued by a filmmaker who has claimed that the singer’s trailer for her new album infringes copyright for a short film he created.

In a complaint filed at the US District Court for the Southern District of New York on Wednesday, June 8, Matthew Fulks said the trailer for Beyoncé’s album “Lemonade” is substantially similar to his short film “ Palinoia”.

“Palinoia” was released in July 2014 while the trailer for “Lemonade” was released on April 17 this year. Her album of the same name was released on April 23.

Fulks said the trailer and his own work both use “visual and auditory elements, visual and auditory sequences, themes, format, mood, setting, plot, and pace, all of which create a protectable total concept and feel”.

Both works are described as carefully selected visuals, which are seemingly unrelated in a rapid montage, with a poem recited in a voice over against a distinctive audio track.

Fulks is asking for unspecified damages, profits from the sales of “Lemonade” and a trial by jury.

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