Kanye West and French Montana Sued Over Unauthorized 2013 Audio Sample

A federal lawsuit filed on July 15 accuses Kanye West, also known as Ye, and French Montana of incorporating an unauthorized audio sample from a 2013 confrontation with paparazzi into their 2024 track. The complaint, lodged by celebrity photo agency Bauer-Griffin in Los Angeles, also targets several producers and music companies linked to the song.

Details of the Copyright Lawsuit

The suit claims that Ye, French Montana, producers Dem Jointz and BoogzDaBeast, as well as entities Gamma and Vydia, used audio from a May 2013 video capturing Ye's confrontation with photographers outside a Los Angeles restaurant. The track in question, “Where They At,” appears on French Montana’s album Mac & Cheese 5. The footage features Kim Kardashian, who was pregnant at the time, standing nearby as Ye shouts, “don’t take no photos,” followed by additional profanities.

Bauer-Griffin’s complaint describes the use of this audio as “blatant and willful” copyright infringement, emphasizing the clip's significant news value due to Ye’s history of paparazzi confrontations. The agency’s attorneys stated, “Given Mr. Ye’s history of numerous confrontations with paparazzi, the video was highly newsworthy,” adding that “Listeners immediately recognized the audio sample that begins the infringing record as being copied from the video.”

Past Legal Issues and Licensing Claims

According to the report, Ye has faced over a dozen lawsuits related to alleged unlicensed samples, including a recent case involving an early version of the song Hurricane. During that trial, Ye testified that he was “very generous” in crediting and compensating others when appropriate but felt “a lot of people try to take advantage of me.”

The complaint asserts there was no justification for using the recording without obtaining a license, stating, “In the music industry, copyrights are prevalent and well understood.” It further claims, “Every defendant knew that they needed to have but did not have permission to use the audio sample.”

Rights Ownership and Response

Bauer-Griffin maintains ownership of the footage since its initial online publication, which included the agency’s watermark. Representatives for Kanye West and French Montana have not yet provided comments regarding the lawsuit.