Flo Milli's Never Lose Me copyright case has been tossed because a $200 beat license lacked the producer's valid signature. California Judge André Birotte Jr. ruled that Baltimore artist Shamar Deal could not sue on the rights he claimed to hold.
Deal says a Traktrain sale gave him sole rights to the beat Youu for ten years. He paid through Stripe and got a receipt that seemed to confirm the purchase. But the legal issue came from who had signed the license, not whether he sent the cash.
Producer Gerreaux, whose legal name is Gerald Henry, had listed the beat for sale. Deal says they agreed on the $200 price by email, and Gerreaux later marked the item as sold. Still, the final paper bore the name of Traktrain operator Nick George.
Sony Music Entertainment challenged that setup. Its lawyers said Deal had failed to show that George could sign for Gerreaux. The judge agreed, as no proof linked the producer's consent to the exact legal document Deal relied on.
Electronic signatures can count under US law. That wasn't the snag. Birotte found that a chat about payment and a sale status did not prove Gerreaux had signed or accepted the license itself. Deal had already received a chance to fix his claim.
As for the tracks, Deal accused Babyface Ray and 42 Dugg of using Youu for Ron Artest, which EMPIRE sent out. Flo Milli, born Tamia Monique Carter, later used part of that track for Never Lose Me through RCA Records.
Those songs had serious streaming numbers. Deal put Ron Artest at over 96 million Spotify plays and six cuts of Never Lose Me at roughly 650 million. The latter group had a remix with SZA and Cardi B, while his suit claimed the defendants had made more than $1 million.
His demand was at least $1 million in damages. Deal also wanted the music pulled from sale and distribution. Yet the court never reached the issue of copying, since his failure to prove sole rights stopped the case first.
Both the recorded beat and its musical work were part of the fight. Deal had filed separate claims for each, but the court merged them. The final dismissal covers both, with no new chance to revise the copyright case.
Deal's lawyer Larry Zerner says an appeal is planned at the Ninth Circuit. His concern is that indie artists need a way to trust licenses bought on beat sites. Meanwhile, Babyface Ray and EMPIRE welcomed the outcome through lawyer David Given.
Online beat sales are a major part of the music trade. BeatStars says it has paid creators over $450 million, with a library of more than 11 million beats and 1.5 million track downloads each month. Its chief, Abe Batshon, also backs repeat sales through nonexclusive deals.
A separate rights case adds context. Wixen Music Publishing had its $102 million claim against Meta rejected over a lack of proof that it could sue. The firm filed a revised complaint after similar issues had hit its older cases against Pandora and Triller.
Flo Milli also has a global co-publishing pact with PULSE Music Group. For this dispute, though, the main issue remains Deal's Traktrain paperwork. His claimed purchase was not enough to give him the legal standing needed for a copyright suit.
Deal says a Traktrain sale gave him sole rights to the beat Youu for ten years. He paid through Stripe and got a receipt that seemed to confirm the purchase. But the legal issue came from who had signed the license, not whether he sent the cash.
Producer Gerreaux, whose legal name is Gerald Henry, had listed the beat for sale. Deal says they agreed on the $200 price by email, and Gerreaux later marked the item as sold. Still, the final paper bore the name of Traktrain operator Nick George.
Sony Music Entertainment challenged that setup. Its lawyers said Deal had failed to show that George could sign for Gerreaux. The judge agreed, as no proof linked the producer's consent to the exact legal document Deal relied on.
Electronic signatures can count under US law. That wasn't the snag. Birotte found that a chat about payment and a sale status did not prove Gerreaux had signed or accepted the license itself. Deal had already received a chance to fix his claim.
As for the tracks, Deal accused Babyface Ray and 42 Dugg of using Youu for Ron Artest, which EMPIRE sent out. Flo Milli, born Tamia Monique Carter, later used part of that track for Never Lose Me through RCA Records.
Those songs had serious streaming numbers. Deal put Ron Artest at over 96 million Spotify plays and six cuts of Never Lose Me at roughly 650 million. The latter group had a remix with SZA and Cardi B, while his suit claimed the defendants had made more than $1 million.
His demand was at least $1 million in damages. Deal also wanted the music pulled from sale and distribution. Yet the court never reached the issue of copying, since his failure to prove sole rights stopped the case first.
Both the recorded beat and its musical work were part of the fight. Deal had filed separate claims for each, but the court merged them. The final dismissal covers both, with no new chance to revise the copyright case.
Deal's lawyer Larry Zerner says an appeal is planned at the Ninth Circuit. His concern is that indie artists need a way to trust licenses bought on beat sites. Meanwhile, Babyface Ray and EMPIRE welcomed the outcome through lawyer David Given.
Online beat sales are a major part of the music trade. BeatStars says it has paid creators over $450 million, with a library of more than 11 million beats and 1.5 million track downloads each month. Its chief, Abe Batshon, also backs repeat sales through nonexclusive deals.
A separate rights case adds context. Wixen Music Publishing had its $102 million claim against Meta rejected over a lack of proof that it could sue. The firm filed a revised complaint after similar issues had hit its older cases against Pandora and Triller.
Flo Milli also has a global co-publishing pact with PULSE Music Group. For this dispute, though, the main issue remains Deal's Traktrain paperwork. His claimed purchase was not enough to give him the legal standing needed for a copyright suit.
