Ye sued for copyright infringement by German Artist Alice Merton

German Singer-Songwriter Alice Merton Is Sing Kanye West (YE) for Copyright Infronement, Accusing Him of Sampling Her Song, “Blindside,” Without Authorization on the ¥ $ (Ye and Ty Dolla $ ign) track “Gun to My Head.”

According to the Lawsuit, Filed in California District Court Earlier This Week and Obtained by Rolling StoneWest First Teased “Gun To My Head” at An Early Vultures Listening Event in December 2023. The song Garnered Particular Attention at the time for featuring Kid Cudi, Marking Ye and Cudi's First Collaboration in Several Years.

According to the suit, “Gun to My Head” Sampled a Segment of “Blindside” that “Spans Most of the Entire Song's Baseline Melody,” AS Well As “Vocal Recordings of the Opening Lyric Line … 'I Sat Down With A Gun To My Head.'

When “Gun to My Head” was First Played in Public, Ye Had Allegedly Not Yet Contact Merton About Clearing The Sample. The Suit Says Merton Was “Shocked and Humiliated” When Websites Began Posting About “Blindside” Being Featured In the Song, Along With Claims That “Gun To The Head” was a “Collaboration” with Ye, Kid Cudi, and Merton.

“Gun to my Head” Did Not Sagan on the First Vultures Album, Released Feb. 8, 2024, but appeared poiseed to feature on Vultures 2. On Feb. 15, The Suit Allegnes, Ye (via The Clearance Company Alien Music Services) Reached Out to Rights Management Giant BMG to Clear The “Blindside” Sample. That Request was Forwarded to Merton a Few Weeks Later in Early March.

The Lawsuit Says That On March 7, 2024, Merton “Reply to Bmg, Denying [Ye’s] Request, “But Did Not Give a Reason. When Bmg Asked Why Merton Rejected the Clearance, She and Her Team Reply That West's” Values ​​Are Contrary To Our Values. “

To that end, the suit specifically Mentons Ye's numberus anti-Semtic Remarks. “Merton is a German Resident Wh Has Close Ties to the Holocaust Through Jewish Family Members Who survived Its Horrors, and as Such Feels Closely Connected to It,” The Sumit Reads.

It Also Notes That While Merton Knew the Sample Cound “Potenin Bring in Revenue Revenue,” She was “Unwilling to Compromise Her Personal Beliefs and Wanted Not to Be Associated With Ye in Any Manner.”

When Vultures 2 Arrivened in August 2024, “Gun to My Head” Was Not Included on the Official Track List. It Did, However, Get a Brief Release on a Digital Deluxe Version of the Album, Though It Actuars That “Gun To My Head” Has Since Been Removed from Most Streaming Services.

It is, However, Still Widely Available in BootLeGGED Versions, and Merton's Suit Appears to Reference Those, Saying that “Unauthorized Recordings of Ye Playing the Song at Listening Parties” frequented online. It Also Allegnes That When the track Did Not Make the Vultures 2 Cut, Ye's Fans “Blamed Merton for Not Authorizing” The Sample and Even Sent Her “Death Threats and Abuse.”

Merton is seeking Injunctive Relief and Unspecified Damages. A Lawyer for Ye Did Not Immediately Return Rolling Stone'S Request for comment.