Greenberg Glusker partner Glen Rothstein was quoted in “Big Pimpin' gets big win in copyright case” (Daily Journal, October 22, 2015).

In the closely watched Fahmy v. Jay Z., complex issues of international copyright, and whether the 1999 Jay-Z hit "Big Pimpin'" infringed on the rights of an Egyptian song it sampled, were at stake. By ruling that plaintiff  Osama Ahmed Fahmy lacked standing to pursue his claim, U.S. District Court Judge Christina A. Snyder ended eight years of complex litigation.

Rothstein, commenting on the ruling, said the music litigation world has become the Wild West between this decision and the year’s other high profile copyright sampling case, Robin Thicke and Pharrel Williams’s "Blurred Lines." Rothstein said while the verdicts in the two cases are based on different grounds, they both emphasize the importance of expert witnesses:

"Lawyers are really going to have to think longer and harder about getting the right expert witness," he said. "It's becoming clearer and clearer that these expert witnesses are having an impact not only on the juries but also on the court itself."

As for the impact of "Big Pimpin'" on the music industry? Rothstein does not believe it will have as far reaching an impact as the "Blurred Lines" decision.

Greenberg Glusker partner Glen Rothstein was quoted in “Big Pimpin' gets big win in copyright case” (Daily Journal, October 22, 2015).

In the closely watched Fahmy v. Jay Z., complex issues of international copyright, and whether the 1999 Jay-Z hit "Big Pimpin'" infringed on the rights of an Egyptian song it sampled, were at stake. By ruling that plaintiff  Osama Ahmed Fahmy lacked standing to pursue his claim, U.S. District Court Judge Christina A. Snyder ended eight years of complex litigation.

Rothstein, commenting on the ruling, said the music litigation world has become the Wild West between this decision and the year’s other high profile copyright sampling case, Robin Thicke and Pharrel Williams’s "Blurred Lines." Rothstein said while the verdicts in the two cases are based on different grounds, they both emphasize the importance of expert witnesses:

"Lawyers are really going to have to think longer and harder about getting the right expert witness," he said. "It's becoming clearer and clearer that these expert witnesses are having an impact not only on the juries but also on the court itself."

As for the impact of "Big Pimpin'" on the music industry? Rothstein does not believe it will have as far reaching an impact as the "Blurred Lines" decision.