Los Angeles Intellectual Property Trademark Attorney Blog
Los Angeles, CA – In 1977, Singer/Songwriter Lamont Dozier composed a song entitled “Peddlin’ Music on the Side” and registered the copyright therein. He further renewed the copyright registration in January of 2005.
In 2009, Derek Christoff (pka “D-Sisive”) recorded a rap song entitled “(I’m A) Nobody With a Notepad. Plaintiff accuses D-Sisive of copying substantial portion of On the Side, including a complete verse of Dozier’s singing taken directly from the original master recording. Dozier also claims that the rest of the son uses his lyrics and recording as a musical hook, “Notepad is simply a rap version of On the Side with lyrics spoken over it to a ‘rap beat’.” Urbnet Records, Fontana Distribution, and Universal Music Group are also accused of marketing, distributing, selling and licensing the Notepad song.
D-Sisive’s Video:
Dozier’s Peddlin’ Song:
The case is Dozier v. Christoff et al., CV10-6320 R (C.D. Cal. 2010).