Lawsuit dropped, but Bieber baby claim lingers

Canadian singer Justin Bieber arrives on the red carpet for the 63rd Bambi media awards ceremony in Wiesbaden, November 10, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Alex Domanski

By Jill Serjeant

LOS ANGELES | Wed Nov 16, 2011 7:43pm EST

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The woman who claimed teen singer Justin Bieber fathered a baby with her has dropped her paternity lawsuit, but Mariah Yeater's lawyer said on Wednesday she is pursuing her claim out of court.

Yeater, 20, of southern California, had claimed in her lawsuit that she had sex backstage with the 17-year-old Canadian singer last year and that he was the father of her baby who was born in July. She was demanding child support.

Bieber has repeatedly denied the allegation, saying he never met Yeater but said last week he would take a paternity test. Sources close to Bieber said on Wednesday that arrangements were underway for the DNA test to take place soon.

Chicago attorney Jeffery Leving said on Wednesday that Yeater had dropped the lawsuit but had a new legal team and hoped to reach a private settlement with Bieber's lawyers.

"She believes Justin Bieber is the father," Leving told Chicago TV channel WGNtv on Wednesday. "Negotiations are going on right now with Bieber's counsel and we're trying to negotiate a private, secure DNA test with the same safeguards that would exist if there were a court order, but without a court order."

"This matter is not over," Leving said.

It was not clear why the paternity lawsuit was dropped but Leving said Yeater had received death threats and was being harassed by the media.

Bieber's spokesman Matthew Hiltzik called it "sad" that "someone would fabricate such a malicious, defamatory, and demonstrably false claim. We'll continue to consider all of our options to protect Justin."

The baby claims have threatened to tarnish Bieber's squeaky clean image and left Yeater open to a possible charge of statutory rape because Bieber was only 16 years-old at the time of the alleged encounter.

In her complaint, Yeater claimed the two had sex for 30 seconds in a backstage bathroom after she attended a Bieber concert in Los Angeles in October 2010.

Bieber, has been promoting his new Christmas album in Europe, was silent on Twitter on Wednesday.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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Lawsuit dropped, but Bieber baby claim lingers (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The woman who claimed teen singer Justin Bieber fathered a baby with her has dropped her paternity lawsuit, but Mariah Yeater's lawyer said on Wednesday she is pursuing her claim out of court.

Yeater, 20, of southern California, had claimed in her lawsuit that she had sex backstage with the 17-year-old Canadian singer last year and that he was the father of her baby who was born in July. She was demanding child support.

Bieber has repeatedly denied the allegation, saying he never met Yeater but said last week he would take a paternity test. Sources close to Bieber said on Wednesday that arrangements were underway for the DNA test to take place soon.

Chicago attorney Jeffery Leving said on Wednesday that Yeater had dropped the lawsuit but had a new legal team and hoped to reach a private settlement with Bieber's lawyers.

"She believes Justin Bieber is the father," Leving told Chicago TV channel WGNtv on Wednesday. "Negotiations are going on right now with Bieber's counsel and we're trying to negotiate a private, secure DNA test with the same safeguards that would exist if there were a court order, but without a court order."

"This matter is not over," Leving said.

It was not clear why the paternity lawsuit was dropped but Leving said Yeater had received death threats and was being harassed by the media.

Bieber's spokesman Matthew Hiltzik called it "sad" that "someone would fabricate such a malicious, defamatory, and demonstrably false claim. We'll continue to consider all of our options to protect Justin."

The baby claims have threatened to tarnish Bieber's squeaky clean image and left Yeater open to a possible charge of statutory rape because Bieber was only 16 years-old at the time of the alleged encounter.

In her complaint, Yeater claimed the two had sex for 30 seconds in a backstage bathroom after she attended a Bieber concert in Los Angeles in October 2010.

Bieber, has been promoting his new Christmas album in Europe, was silent on Twitter on Wednesday.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

View the original article here

DJ wins $1 million in lawsuit over "My Humps" song (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) – Cleveland disc jockey and early rap artist Orrin Lynn Tolliver, Jr. has just been awarded nearly $1.2 million by a New York jury. The award comes after a former friend and collaborator allowed without permission his 1983 song, "I Need A Freak," to be sampled by the Black Eyed Peas for the group's hit song, "My Humps."

In the early 80s, Tolliver formed a concept band called Sexual Harassment and recorded "I Need A Freak" at his friend and collaborator James McCants' studio at Heat Records.

McCants registered the song with BMI, credited Tolliver as the songwriter, and agreed to pay him 75% of royalties.

In 2000, the song was included on the compilation, "In Da Beginning...There Was Rap," from Priority Records, which caused Tolliver to send McCants a cease-and-desist letter. His former friend and collaborator denied issuing a license.

However, in the proceeding years, the song was sampled for use by other artists, including by the Black Eyed Peas on "My Humps."

Tolliver sued McCants for copyright infringement.

During the preliminary stages of the case, McCants offered shifting excuses about what had happened. He first denied issuing a license. He then claimed he had co-authored the composition and owned it under the work-for-hire doctrine. He then attempted to obtain a musicologist expert's report that "My Humps" didn't sample Tolliver's work. Finally, he claimed that he owned the composition by virtue of a copyright assignment.

The judge didn't appreciate these inconsistent statements and ruled for Tolliver on summary judgment.

The case went to a jury to determine the damages. On Tuesday, the jury rendered a verdict. McCants owed Tolliver $816,877.28 in profits and $368,704.31 in actual damages for copyright infringement.

(Editing by Zorianna Kit)

View the original article here

DJ wins $1 million in lawsuit over "My Humps" song

By Eriq Gardner

Fri Jun 24, 2011 7:42pm EDT

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Cleveland disc jockey and early rap artist Orrin Lynn Tolliver, Jr. has just been awarded nearly $1.2 million by a New York jury. The award comes after a former friend and collaborator allowed without permission his 1983 song, "I Need A Freak," to be sampled by the Black Eyed Peas for the group's hit song, "My Humps."

In the early 80s, Tolliver formed a concept band called Sexual Harassment and recorded "I Need A Freak" at his friend and collaborator James McCants' studio at Heat Records.

McCants registered the song with BMI, credited Tolliver as the songwriter, and agreed to pay him 75% of royalties.

In 2000, the song was included on the compilation, "In Da Beginning...There Was Rap," from Priority Records, which caused Tolliver to send McCants a cease-and-desist letter. His former friend and collaborator denied issuing a license.

However, in the proceeding years, the song was sampled for use by other artists, including by the Black Eyed Peas on "My Humps."

Tolliver sued McCants for copyright infringement.

During the preliminary stages of the case, McCants offered shifting excuses about what had happened. He first denied issuing a license. He then claimed he had co-authored the composition and owned it under the work-for-hire doctrine. He then attempted to obtain a musicologist expert's report that "My Humps" didn't sample Tolliver's work. Finally, he claimed that he owned the composition by virtue of a copyright assignment.

The judge didn't appreciate these inconsistent statements and ruled for Tolliver on summary judgment.

The case went to a jury to determine the damages. On Tuesday, the jury rendered a verdict. McCants owed Tolliver $816,877.28 in profits and $368,704.31 in actual damages for copyright infringement.

(Editing by Zorianna Kit)

View the original article here