Nelly won a copyright lawsuit in Missouri after a judge ruled Ali’s claims were filed too late and sanctioned his attorneys for pursuing a meritless case.
Judge Tossed Lawsuit Over “Country Grammar” Contributions
Nelly secured a legal win in Missouri after a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by Ali of the St. Lunatics and sanctioned his attorneys for pursuing what the court called a baseless case.
Ali Jones, a longtime collaborator and member of Nelly’s Hip-Hop group, sued the rapper for copyright infringement and unjust enrichment. He claimed he was denied credit and compensation for work on Nelly’s 2000 debut album, “Country Grammar.” But U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig shut down the case, ruling that the claims were either invalid under the law, filed too late or both.
Court Cited Missed Deadline and Bad Faith Filing
The court found that Ali received a letter from Nelly’s legal team in June 2021 clearly stating he was not considered an author and would not be paid. That communication, the judge said, triggered the three-year statute of limitations for a copyright claim. Ali didn’t file his lawsuit until after that window closed.
“Ali’s claims are barred by the statute of limitations,” Judge Fleissig wrote. “He was clearly and expressly informed in June 2021 that he was not considered an author and would not be paid.”
Ali’s attorneys tried to sidestep the timing issue by modifying the complaint and omitting key dates. The court said that tactic showed bad faith.
“The Court finds that Plaintiffs’ counsel acted unreasonably and vexatiously in continuing to pursue claims that were clearly time-barred and preempted,” the ruling stated.
Judge Sanctioned Ali’s Attorneys Over Meritless Case
The court also rejected Ali’s unjust enrichment argument, stating it was essentially a duplicate of the copyright claim, which is not allowed under federal law.
Because the case lacked legal merit, the judge ordered Ali’s lawyers to pay a $1,000 penalty and reimburse Nelly for legal expenses incurred after the original complaint. Ali himself was not fined, but the judge criticized both him and his legal team for pushing forward without a valid basis.
“The Court finds that sanctions are warranted,” the ruling said. “Counsel should have recognized early on that the claims lacked merit.”
Final Ruling Ends Two-Decade Dispute
The judge emphasized that Nelly’s 2021 response left no uncertainty about Ali’s lack of rights to the music in question. The ruling, filed in late April, officially ends Ali’s attempt to claim authorship on songs from “Country Grammar” more than 20 years after its release.
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