Nelly, real name Cornell Haynes Jr., prevailed in federal court this week after a Missouri judge dismissed a copyright and unjust enrichment lawsuit brought by his former St. Lunatics bandmate, Ali Jones, and sanctioned Jones’ attorneys for pursuing what the court called a baseless case.
U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig of the Eastern District of Missouri tossed the suit, ruling that Ali’s claims were both time-barred and legally deficient. The decision ends a two-year legal battle that revisited creative disputes surrounding Nelly’s 2000 debut album Country Grammar, which helped establish the rapper as one of hip-hop’s top-selling artists.
Jones, who performed as Ali in the St. Louis collective, alleged that he contributed original material to several tracks on Country Grammar but was never credited or compensated. He accused Nelly of copyright infringement and sought damages for unjust enrichment, arguing that the rapper profited from his creative input.
Nelly Wins Lawsuit Against Ali Over ‘Country Grammar’
According to court filings, Nelly’s legal team issued a letter in June 2021 rejecting Jones’ claims of authorship and ownership.
Judge Fleissig ruled that the letter started the three-year statute of limitations for filing a copyright claim. It expired before Jones submitted his complaint.
The court also found that Jones’ attorneys attempted to bypass the statute by amending the complaint and omitting critical dates. A tactic Judge Fleissig described as an act of 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 judge wrote in her order.
In addition to dismissing the complaint, the court imposed a $1,000 sanction against Jones’ legal team. The judge ordered them to reimburse Nelly’s attorneys for fees incurred after the first filing.
The judge declined to penalize Jones personally. However, the judge criticized him and his counsel for advancing claims unsupported by fact or law.
The ruling closes the door on Jones’ attempt to secure authorship credit more than two decades after Country Grammar’s release. For Nelly, it marks a significant legal vindication. A reaffirmation of his creative ownership over one of hip-hop’s defining albums.
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