The Weeknd Settles "Call Out My Name" Copyright Lawsuit

The Weeknd has reached a settlement in the copyright lawsuit regarding his 2018 single, "Call Out My Name." According to the BBC, both parties are still formalizing the agreement. However, the terms of the settlement have not been disclosed publically. “The parties are still in the process of formalizing, executing, and consummating," the plaintiff’s lawyers said in a filing on Friday.

In the original 2021 lawsuit, Suniel Fox and Henry Strange claimed that there will numerous similarities between The Weeknd's song and their own track, “Vibeking." They described their song as "atmospheric and melancholic." “Both works are in a 6/8 meter that is less common in popular music,” they claimed. “Both works are played at a similar tempo. And both works use features of electronica, ambience, pop, hip-hop, rock, and R&B to achieve a particularly atmospheric and melancholic sound.”

Fox and Strange also stated that The Weeknd heard their song, recalling having sent the track to the artist’s DJ, Eric White, in 2015. His response was allegedly, “It’s fire.” About a year later, White got in touch with Strange again and wrote to him: “I sent [The Weeknd] that track u made a while ago. He listened and liked it. But nothing ever happened.” He further added in a subsequent email: “Just gonna tell [The Weeknd] that our production team wrote the track. Cool? Or u have another idea? Just don’t wanna say ‘hey, [Strange] wrote this’ when he doesn’t know u.”

While terms of the settlement were not announced. Fox and Strange previously asked the court for a share in the song's past and future royalties, as well as coverage for their legal fees. The duo's legal team has asked that all future hearings are set to be canceled and the case dismissed. "Call Out My Name" was included on the tracklist for The Weeknd’s 2018 EP, My Dear Melancholy. It ended up reaching the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100.

[Via]