Photo: Wenn
Jay Z has been deemed not liable for a case against the rapper for using an uncleared sample used in his 1999 single, 'Big Pimpin'.
A US district judge ruled that the the case of the nephew of Egyptian composer Baligh Hamdi did not have any legal standing to pursue the claim that Jay Z and Timbaland illicitly sampled the track.
The Hollywood Reporter claims that Osama Fahmy signed all rights to the sampled 'Khosara Khosara' over to a Middle Eastern company, Sout El Phan, back in 2002 which was then licensed for use outside of Egypt.
Fahmy centred his case around the concept of 'moral rights' which protested the 'vulgar and base' nature of the music his Uncle's music played an integral part in. However, 'Egyptian moral rights' q43 not recognised in the US and therefore could not be used to draw a case against an license issue situated in the US.
Watch the video for Jay Z's 'Big Pimpin' below
The trial took place over the span of a week and involved testimonies from the likes of musicologists, copyright lawyers and even Linkin Park's bassist Dave Farrell, who worked on a new version of the track for the band's collaborative album with Jay Z back in 2004.
Jay Z and Timbaland also took the stand and stated the turn of events: "Legal just told me, $100 grand and you're clear". Simple as that.
