Chicago Songwriters Say BEP Stole 'Boom Boom Pow'

Chicago Songwriters Say BEP Stole 'Boom Boom Pow'
Wednesday, January 27, 2010 11:25 AM
By Nolan Strong

(AllHipHop News) A copyright lawsuit against The Black Eyed Peas was filed in a Chicago court yesterday (January 26) by a group of Chicago songwriters, who claim the chart topping group stole the song “Boom Boom Pow.”

The lawsuit was filed yesterday (January 26) in United States District Court of Chicago by plaintiffs Ebony Latrice “Phoenix Phenom” Batts and Manfred Mohr.

The pair claim the Black Eyed Peas stole their song “Boom Dynamite” and used it as the basis for “Boom Boom Pow,” a Grammy-nominated #1 single, taken from BEP’s multi-platinum smash fifth album The End.

The songwriters claim they submitted the track to Interscope Records. One year later, the songwriters were shocked to hear “Boom Boom Pow,“ which they claim is strikingly similar to BEP’s.

"My clients submitted their copyrighted song ‘Boom Dynamite’ to Interscope Records after Interscope had shown interest in some of their music, and the Black Eyed Peas later copied the song when they wrote "Boom Boom Pow,” the songwriters attorney Ira Gould told AllHipHop.com. “A simple listening of the two songs will tell you that the songs are substantially similar, and that the hooks of the two songs are virtually identical in rhythm and lyrics."

The Complaint also refers to other claims of copyright infringement made against the Black Eyed Peas, and seeks unspecified damages, disgorgement of profits, and punitive damages.

The lawsuit number can be found be referencing: 10-cv-00539.

From AllHipHop.com

http://allhiphop.com/stories/news/archive/2010/01/27/22108886.aspx