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Hip-Hop star Kanye West was handed a victory in court on Monday (August 20) in a lawsuit over the rapper’s hit single “Stronger.”
Producer Vincent Peters sued Kanye West in June of 2010, claiming that the single, taken from West’s album Graduation, was actually his.
The lawsuit originally claimed that Vincent Peters played the song for John Monopoly at his Chicago home in November of 2006.
He was shocked when he heard significant portions of his version were also incorporated into Kanye’s big hit.
But the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the lawsuit, on the grounds that the both songs were derived from 19th century philosopher, Nietzsche .
“Although the fact that both songs quote from a 19th century German philosopher might, at first blush, seem to be an unusual coincidence, West correctly notes that the aphorism has been repeatedly invoked in song lyrics over the past century,” ruled Judge Diane Wood.
The judge also ruled that there wasn’t enough similarities between the two songs either.
“We are not persuaded that the similarities alleged by Vince P rise to the level of copyright infringement,” the ruling states.
Compare the lyrics to both hooks below:
Stronger – Vincent Peters – Hook – What don’t kill me make me stronger/The more I blow up the more you wronger/You copied my CD you can feel my hunger/The wait is over couldn’t wait no longer
Stronger – Kanye West – Hook – N-N-N-now th-th-that don’t kill me Can only make me stronger /I need you to hurry up now Cause I can’t wait much longer/ I know I got to be right now Cause I can’t get much wronger/Man I’ve been waitin’ all night now That’s how long I’ve been on ya.
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