Donald Glover wins copyright infringement lawsuit

Donald Glover wins lawsuit filed by Kidd Wes (Emelike Nwosuocha) for copyright infringement of ‘This is America’.

Donald Glover, also known as Childish Gambino, has won the copyright infringement lawsuit for his song ‘This is America’ (2018). The lawsuit filed by Emelike Nwosuocha/Kidd Wes was officially dismissed by U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero.

Nwosuocha filed the lawsuit in September 2021 alleging that ‘This is America’ infringes on the copyright of his ‘Made in America’ posted on SoundCloud in 2016. It alleged that “substantial similarities between the two songs include, but are not limited to, nearly identical unique rhythmic, lyrical and thematic content of composition and interpretation contained in the chorus – or ‘hook’ – sections that are the centerpieces of both songs.”

The judge had ruled that “[a] cursory comparison with the challenged composition reveals that the content of the refrains is completely different and not substantially similar.” He also noted that Kidd Wes’ lyrics were a “short, simple, self-aggrandizing proclamation,” and ‘This Is America’ addressed “what America means and how it is perceived.” In addition, Nwosuochua had failed to secure a federal copyright registration for his song.

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