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In a complaint filed on Wednesday, The Music
Force LLC said Lil Nas X borrowed without permission from
Caldwell's R&B song "Carry On" for his own song with the same
title, which he then posted to YouTube and streaming platforms
such as Spotify and SoundCloud.
The plaintiff also sued Lil Nas X's new record label, Sony
Music, saying it chose not to properly vet the 20-year-old's
music because it was "far more important" to preserve the chance
to generate millions of dollars of revenue from his career.
Representatives of Lil Nas X and Sony could not immediately be
reached on Thursday for comment.
The Culver City-based plaintiff is seeking at least $10 million
in compensatory damages, in part for "confusion in the
marketplace," plus at least $15 million in punitive damages
reflecting Lil Nas X's alleged "greed and malicious intent."
Lil Nas X, whose given name is Montero Lamar Hill, this week saw
"Old Town Road" log its 16th week atop the Billboard Hot 100,
tying the record for the longest No. 1 stint in the chart's
61-year history.
"Old Town Road," which features country singer Billy Ray Cyrus,
shares the record with Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men's "One Sweet
Day" in 1995-1996, and Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee and Justin
Bieber's "Despacito" in 2017.
The lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles federal court.
The case is The Music Force LLC v Sony Music Holdings Inc et al,
U.S. District Court, Central District of California, No.
19-06430.
(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Matthew
Lewis)
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