Yellowcard’s lawsuit against Juice WRLD is being delayed again

The copyright infringement lawsuit between Yellowcard and Juice WRLD‘s estate has been put on hold until July. According to Digital Music News, the reasoning is due the coronavirus pandemic preventing the search for an executor. In addition, all “non-emergency” lawsuits are also delayed in Miami-Dade county. 

Our last update on the Juice WRLD and Yellowcard suit was back in February when it was placed on hold until Juice WRLD’s representatives appointed an executor of the late-rapper’s estate. 

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In the original complaint filed, Yellowcard allegeD Juice WRLD and his collaborators ripped “melodic elements” from their track without permission. They filed the complaint in Oct. 2019.

The original response date of the defendants was Dec. 9, 2019. But, following the tragic death of Juice WRLD on Dec. 8, Yellowcard put the lawsuit on pause. Shortly thereafter, Yellowcard filed a legal notice extending some of the defendants’ deadline to Feb. 4.

Then, on Jan. 13, another defendant in the Juice WRLD case filed for an extension to Feb. 4 as well. BMG Rights Management requested on Jan. 13 that they have until Feb. 4 to respond to the initial complaint filed by Yellowcard.

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Defendants Grade A Productions, LLC, Songs of Universal, Inc., and Interscope Records originally requested the extension and received the Feb. 4 date.

Then, according to reports the entire case had been put on hold until Juice WRLD’s estate finds its executor.

In a court order signed Feb. 11 by U.S. District Court Judge Consuelo B. Marshall, the matter of who shall represent Juice WRLD’S estate will be settled in a probate court.

“The action is stayed pending the appointment of a representative for the estate of Defendant [Jarad A.] Higgins by the probate court,” the reported documents read. “The parties shall file a status report re: the probate proceedings no later than April 13, 2020.” 

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Now, we finally have some more news regarding the lawsuit, and it is much of the same. 

The case against Juice WRLD’s estate has been postponed until July. 

Digital Music News allegedly obtained an exclusive copy of the corresponding court filing that stated the lawsuit is being delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The document also states that the “defendants do not expect this situation [coronavirus-related lockdowns] will change in the near future.” They will now provide “a further status update to the Court by no later than July 1, 2020.”

Yellowcard is seeking $15 million in damages in the suit. They claim the rapper’s 2018 hit “Lucid Dreams” was a knock off of their 2006 track “Holly Wood Died”.

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But, King & Fallow also state that the $15 million number attached to the lawsuit was falsely reported. They state that Yellowcard “are simply seeking what the law allows, and what parties in their position have sought in similar cases, which at this point is not determined.”

Former Yellowcard members William Ryan Key, Sean Michael Wellman-Mackin, Peter Michael Mosely and Longineu Warren Parsons filed the complaint in late October in the U.S. District Court in California.

“Defendants copied the Original Work without license or consent, and have exploited the subsequent Infringing Work and Infringing Sound Recording to their collective benefit without regard to Plaintiffs’ rights and to Plaintiffs’ detriment,” the filed complaint reads.

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“The Infringing Work and Infringing Sound Recording are not only substantially similar to the Original Work, but in some places virtually identical.”

Juice WRLD rose to recognition with breakout single “Lucid Dreams” in 2018, a track first released on SoundCloud in 2017. It debuted at No. 74 on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at No. 2. “Lucid Dreams” later appeared on his debut album Goodbye & Good Riddance, which released in May 2018.

Juice WRLD’s death occurred after Higgins deplaned from a private jet traveling from California to his hometown of Chicago. Once landing at Chicago Midway International Airport, witnesses reported he suffered a seizure while walking through the airport. TMZ reports he was “bleeding from the mouth” when paramedics arrived.

Check back with AltPress for any updates regarding the Juice WRLD lawsuit. 

See more: In memoriam: Musicians we lost in 2019

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