The estate of Donna Summer and the 'All of the Lights' rapper have finalized a settlement in a copyright infringement lawsuit over the unauthorized use of her song.
- Jun 22, 2024
AceShowbiz - The estate of Donna Summer and Kanye West have finalized a settlement in a copyright infringement lawsuit over the unauthorized use of "I Feel Love" in West's song "Good (Don't Die)".
The "All of the Lights" rapper faced a copyright lawsuit filed by Donna Summer's estate in February after allegedly sampling her iconic 1977 hit "I Feel Love" on his Vultures 1 track "Good (Don't Die)" without permission. The estate claimed that Ye re-recorded portions of the song "almost verbatim" and used them as the hook for his own, resulting in a "blatant rip-off." The lawsuit also named Ty Dolla $ign as a defendant.
After the lawsuit, "Good (Don't Die)" was removed from streaming platforms. According to court filings, both parties have now "entered into a settlement agreement that is a full and final settlement of all of the claims in the action."
Attorneys for the Donna Summer estate confirmed that the settlement does not include permission for West to use Summer's material in the future. They also stated that as part of the agreement, West will not distribute or otherwise use "Good (Don't Die)". They declined to comment on any other terms, including monetary compensation.
Ye has a history of being sued for uncleared samples and interpolations in his music. This settlement brings to an end a legal dispute that sparked controversy over sampling rights and artist autonomy in the music industry.
