Jermaine Dupri and Jacquees face copyright claims over their 2023 single Pick It Up from Home Team members Van J. and Patrick Watler. Filed in Miami federal court, the lawsuit alleges the track copies lyrics and melody from Home Team’s 1992 song of the same name.
Plaintiffs seek over $300,000 in damages plus writer credits, publishing shares, sales halts, and full accounting from Mass Appeal Media. They claim defendants knew about the original but never sought clearance. The complaint cites musical composition infringement only, not master recordings, and lacks copyright registration numbers despite stating registration exists.
Statutory damage requests reference per-sale calculations that contradict how copyright law actually works. An alternative unfair enrichment claim argues defendants profited without compensating the original creators. No specific copied passages are identified in the filing.
This case follows Dupri’s recently resolved Sony Music royalty dispute involving Kris Kross and other artists. Mass Appeal received Universal Music Group funding in 2017 while Dupri’s So So Def partnered with HYBE America in April 2025. Plaintiffs demand jury trials and reserve the right to pursue punitive damages.
Plaintiffs seek over $300,000 in damages plus writer credits, publishing shares, sales halts, and full accounting from Mass Appeal Media. They claim defendants knew about the original but never sought clearance. The complaint cites musical composition infringement only, not master recordings, and lacks copyright registration numbers despite stating registration exists.
Statutory damage requests reference per-sale calculations that contradict how copyright law actually works. An alternative unfair enrichment claim argues defendants profited without compensating the original creators. No specific copied passages are identified in the filing.
This case follows Dupri’s recently resolved Sony Music royalty dispute involving Kris Kross and other artists. Mass Appeal received Universal Music Group funding in 2017 while Dupri’s So So Def partnered with HYBE America in April 2025. Plaintiffs demand jury trials and reserve the right to pursue punitive damages.
