Court rules in favor of hip-hop star Macklemore after jazz musician sued over hit song samples – GeekWire

Seattle hip-hop star Macklemore performs in Seattle’s Occidental Park. (Taylor Soper / GeekWire File Photo)

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis have successfully defeated a copyright infringement lawsuit brought by a New Orleans jazz musician who claimed the Seattle hip-hop duo sampled his music on some of their popular hits.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled Tuesday that Paul Batiste did not sufficiently prove that the Macklemore songs “Thrift Shop,” “Cant Hold Us,” “Same Love,” “Neon Cathedral” and “Need to Know” illegally borrowed any of Batiste’s music.

Complete Music Update reported that Batiste was claiming beats and horn melodies were taken from his songs “Hip Jazz” and “World of Blues.”

A lower court had dismissed the suit last year, finding that Macklemore and Lewis did not have access to Batiste’s music or that there was any striking similarity between his recordings and the duo’s hits. Macklemore (Ben Haggerty) and Lewis further argued that Batiste should pay their legal fees of $125,000, and the lower court agreed.

Batiste appealed both rulings, which were upheld by the higher court.

Read the decision here.