Rapper Mystikal did not break copyright laws when he used two Cajun sayings in one of his songs, a Louisiana federal appeals court has ruled.
Emanation Inc. sued Mystikal’s record label, Zomba Recording Inc., in 2001 claiming it owned the copyright to the phrases. The company makes a hand-held toy called “Cajun in Your Pocket” that plays several Cajun phrases, and got a copyright for the word arrangements on Dec. 13, 2000.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Aug. 20 that Mystikal, whose real name is Michael Tyler, did not infringe on the company’s copyright in his 2000 song “Shake Ya A**.”
The appeals court agreed with a district judge, ruling that the sayings — “We gon pass a good time, yeah, cher,” and “You gotta suck da head on dem der crawfish” — are not original and therefore are not protected under copyright laws.
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