January 20, 2015

Jay-Z Must Produce Concert Revenue In 'Big Pimpin' Infringement Suit

Fahmy v. Jay-Z, No. 2:07-cv-05715-CAS, 2015 BL 8688 (C.D. Cal. Jan. 12, 2015).

Jay Z's motion for review of a Magistrate Judge's ruling directing him to produce documents concerning his concert revenues was denied.  This action concerns Jay Z's alleged unauthorized sampling of "Khosara, Khosara" from the 1960 Egyptian film Fata Ahlami in his 2000 hit song "Big Pimpin'."  A Magistrate Judge had ordered Jay-Z  to produce the amount of revenue he earned from concerts where he performed "Big Pimpin' in order to allow the plaintiff to calculate his damages.  Jay-Z moved for review of the magistrate's order under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 72(a).  The District Court denied the motion.  The magistrate's order was not "clearly erroneous or contrary to law."   The discovery of concert revenue "appears reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence" concerning the existence and amount of damages. Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(b)(1).  Nor was there evidence that the burden of production was undue.