People do not have to be famous in order to pursue copyrights or other protections. In fact, it is often wise for anyone who creates an original work to obtain those rights in order to work toward preventing others from using it without authorization. Of course, intellectual property violations do occur, and many people have to take legal steps to seek restitution.
Texas readers may be interested in a copyright infringement case involving musical artist Kanye West. According to reports, the family of a young girl filed the lawsuit after West used the young girl’s prayer in one of his songs. The prayer went viral online after a video was posted of the girl saying the prayer before she, her guardian and her biological mother went on a trip. Representatives for West reportedly contacted the girl’s biological mother to request to use the prayer, and the mother agreed as long as payment would be issued.
A number of problems have since arisen from the agreement, which the girl’s guardian claims was made without proper authority because the biological mother did not have the right to enter into such an agreement on the girl’s behalf. Additionally, West used part of the prayer in one of his songs, but the family has apparently not received any type of compensation. As a result, they are using the lawsuit in hopes of pursuing restitution for the unauthorized use of the prayer, for which the family had obtained copyright protections.
When individuals register their intellectual property, they often gain protections for that property. If others infringe on copyrights, trademarks, patents or other protections, there may be reason for legal action. If Texas residents believe that their property has been unlawfully used, they may want to explore their best courses of action.