Jay z versus Bruno Spoerri

1. Jay Z vs
Swiss jazz musician Bruno
Spoerri

2. • Jay-Z has settled a copyright claim brought against him by a
Swiss musician who claimed the rapper lifted a sample from
an original 1978 song and used it without the artist’s consent.
• Bruno Spoerri, a 79-year-old Swiss jazz musician, will get 50%
of royalties from Jay-Z’s 2013 song “Versus,” reports the Daily
Mail. The rapper agreed to a settlement after a year and a half-
long legal battle in which Spoerri claimed Jay-Z used a portion
of his 1978 song “On the Way” without first clearing the sample
with his record label.

3. “In a way I’m flattered that a relatively young rapper takes a sample from an old man, a sample that is about 35
years old,” “On the other hand I’m furious because it would have been so simple to clear the sample. All it would
have needed was a call or an email to the company and I think it would have been relatively cheap.
• The similarities were first noticed in September 2013 by an
executive at Spoerri’s record label, the ironically titled Finders
Keepers Records.
• “I got a call from Andy Votel, the boss of Finders Keepers, who
had just recognized the sample,” Spoerri told the Swiss news
outlet. “He asked me to keep quiet because he wanted to talk to
them first and see what happened.”

4. Spoerri told swissinfo.ch last year that he wanted an apology more than money, although a little money wouldn’t
hurt either.
“I would like them to acknowledge what happened and say sorry,” Spoerri said at the time. “And then I think it
would be fine if they would put my name on the piece and in the end I want to have a part of the money that comes
in.”
• Therefore, Spoerri will receive 50% of royalties generated from
"Versus".

5. https://youtu.be/lxsnaamt6gI
• https://youtu.be/e1Sboc05DhA