Kanye West has lost the trial over an uncleared sample he used on his song Hurricane at a listening event.
The ruling came after the artist testified that he knowingly removed the sample from the song after the event because he did not have legal clearance to use it.
In a verdict delivered on Tuesday afternoon, eight jurors unanimously decided that West, who also goes by Ye, infringed the copyright of an unreleased demo track by sampling it in an early version of his Grammy-winning song Hurricane, which he played for 40,000 fans at a sold-out concert five years ago.
The court ruled that West is personally liable for $176,153 (£130,137), and his various companies for a further $262,045 (£193,592).
“It’s a victory for working artists, who typically lack the resources to go against someone like Ye, a megastar and celebrity,” Britton Monts, a manager for Artists Revenue Advocates (ARA), which sued on behalf of the four musicians who composed the sample, told Rolling Stone. “The underdogs got their day in court.”
A Yeezy spokesperson spun the outcome as a win for the artist, insisting, “This is a failed shakedown. Six months ago, they wanted $30 million (£22 million). “The moral of the story? There is a cost attached to thinking you can take advantage of Ye.”
During the six-day trial that started last week, ARA’s lawyers claimed West raked in $5.6 million (£4.14 million) from a combination of ticket sales to his July 2021 listening party in Atlanta, merchandise sold at the event, and a deal with Apple Music to stream the show.
The song, which featured The Weeknd and Lil Baby, went on to win a Grammy Award for Best Melodic Rap Performance.
The lawsuit is one of more than a dozen copyright cases West has faced throughout his career for allegedly using unlicensed samples in his music. It’s the first time he’s taken a case to trial.
