A federal judge has tossed out a copyright infringement lawsuit targeting Flo Milli’s track “Never Lose Me,” finding that the producer never actually signed the exclusive beat license at the center of the dispute.
Plaintiff Shamar Deal had argued he held a 10-year exclusive license to the underlying beat, which he purchased for $200 on the online beat marketplace Traktrain back in 2019. The ruling undercuts his claim to exclusivity, with the court determining no valid agreement existed between Deal and the producer.
The case highlights ongoing legal murkiness around beat-licensing marketplaces, where informal online transactions can leave rights and obligations poorly documented, creating risk for both producers and artists who use purchased beats in commercial releases.
Read the full story at Music Business Worldwide.