Drake and Brown Sued
In 2021 Brandon Cooper and Timothy Valentine, artist and producer of the 2016 song “I Love Your Dress,” claimed Drake and Brown used portions of their song in “No Guidance.” According to press coverage, Cooper and Valentine argued
“An analysis of the “No Guidance” beat, lyrics, hook, and rhythmic structure proves it was copied or at least principally derived from “I Love Your Dress.”
Cooper and Valentine outlined in the original filing “No Guidance” used the line “You got it girl you got it” several times.
Typically, the use of a line does not justify copyright infringement. However, in this case, the line is prominent in “I Love Your Dress.” According to the same source, Cooper and Valentine claimed after inspecting the songs it was found, “She got it she got it “was mentioned 16 times in the original song and “You got it, girl, you got it,” 11 times in “No Guidance.”
With the increased use of the line, it becomes less likely it is a fluke. However, it still does not immediately prove copyright infringement.
Cooper and Valentine’s Additional Claim
This is not the only claim Cooper makes. As the same source notes Cooper points out,
“Chris Brown and Drake taunted them with the line “Flew the coop,” which Cooper says is a reference to Cooper’s nickname, Coop.”
This adds an extra wrinkle and casts a shadow of a doubt, raising the stakes.
Drake and Brown’s Legal Team Respond
Brown and Drake found the claim trite and baseless. So, they entered a request for dismissal. However, the pair had no luck. They still found themselves in an entanglement with Cooper and Valentine. So, now both are taking things one step further.
Counterargument
Browns and Drakes’ original counterargument rested on the premise Cooper and Valentine’s song was merely not prominent enough for them to have heard of it. The word “obscure” was used to describe where “I Love your Dress” stood in a catalog of many songs.
Lawyers for Brown and Drake had previously argued neither artist had heard of “I Love Your Dress,” A source notes.
Cooper and Valentine Respond to Drake and Brown
Cooper and Valentine felt slighted by the argument “I Love Your Dress” was “obscure.” He responded to the claims of the pair’s legal team last month. He called out the two as being egotistical.
Battle On
However, Drake and Brown’s representation stand ready to prove the fallacious nature of Cooper and Valentine’s claim. The basis of their argument is written in their filing as thus,
“Posting a song on the Internet — such that the song is 1 out of 82 million songs on Spotify or posted by one of Instagram’s 1 billion users — and a one-time public performance does not constitute widespread dissemination as a matter of law.”
Assuredly no one can deny the validity of this premise.
Reviewing the Facts
Drake and Brown’s original assumption was this would be an easy win in their favor. Nevertheless, it became evident that this issue would not go away. At this point, one can reason both sides have valid arguments, and therein lies the burden of proof. This case is undoubtedly one to follow as the court’s decision will prove instrumental in setting a precedent.
As this case proceeds, FM Hip Hop will follow to provide timely updates.
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Written by Renae Richardson
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Did you catch FM Hip Hop’s initial coverage of Drake and Brown’s entanglement with Copyright Infringement? Then check out FM Hip Hop’s retrospective article.
