UK-based music firm Greensleeves Publishing Ltd has reached a settlement to end the copyright infringement lawsuit it filed against singer Chris Brown and his label Sony Music Entertainment over CB’s 2017 track ‘Privacy’.
Greensleeves, which VP Records acquired in 2008, alleged that ‘Privacy’ lifted a line from the 1997 dancehall track ‘Tight Up Skirt’, which was recorded by dancehall deejay Red Rat. “In creating the infringing work”, the lawsuit stated, “Chris Brown took the core musical feature of ‘Tight Up Skirt’ and used it prominently in the infringing work without permission”.
As for what that “core musical feature” was, the lawsuit went on: ‘Tight Up Skirt’ and the infringing work share a similar primary identifying feature. In both songs, this is a melody containing the lyrics ‘hey your girl inna di tight upskirt’ and ‘hey you girl without a tight upskirt’, respectively”.
In a letter to the court, filed on Thursday, Greensleeves, Chris and Sony informed Judge Robert W. Lehrburger that they “have reached a settlement in principle, which fully resolves the matter.”
Greensleeves had requested over $1.5 million USD in damages, profits, and interest, however, details of the settlement were not disclosed.
The lawsuit was filed in a New York District Court in 2021.
