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*Rapper Ludacris appeared in a Manhattan courtroom Tuesday to defend his Kanye West-produced 2003 hit “Stand Up,” which currently sits in the center of a copyright infringement lawsuit.
An East Orange, N.J. group called I.O.F. claims their song “Straight Like That,” released in September 2001, is too close to the chorus of “Stand Up,” which features the similarly-spoken phrase “just like that.”
The plaintiffs, under the company BMS Entertainment/Heat Music LLC, were trying to claim rights to the words "like that," said Christine Lepera, attorney for the rappers and EMI April Music Inc. She told the jury: "None of you can monopolize certain expressions."
The plaintiffs’ attorney, Mel Sachs, who asked the jurors not to be "blinded by celebrity," said he will prove Ludacris heard the song before he recorded “Stand Up.” According to Sachs, the New Jersey company that produced “Straight Like That” was contacted by one of Ludacris' record companies following the distribution of hundreds of promotional copies of the song.
Lepera argues that Ludacris and West first heard "Straight Like That" when the lawsuit was filed.
Both rappers are due to testify during the trial, which is being held to determine liability. If liability is found, a second phase will assess damages. West did not appear in the courtroom Wednesday, and Ludacris declined to comment. The trial is expected to last one week.