Supreme Court Sides With Producer Sherman Nealy Against Warner in Flo Rida Copyright Case

May 9, 2024, 03:30 PM

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in favor of a Miami music producer, Sherman Nealy, in a copyright dispute with Warner Music over the song 'In the Ayer' by rapper Flo Rida. The court's decision allows Nealy to pursue damages dating back a decade before his lawsuit, based on the discovery rule. Nealy claims that 'In the Ayer' used elements from 'Jam the Box,' a 1980s track by Tony Butler. This case, Warner v. Nealy, was decided with a 6-3 majority opinion by Justice Kagan, with Justices Gorsuch, Thomas, and Alito dissenting. The ruling rejects a new time-based limit on recovery of damages under the Copyright Act, effectively resolving the dispute over the time limit for claiming monetary damages in copyright cases.