Beyonce has emerged triumphant in a copyright lawsuit brought against her over her sensation “Lemonade,” with a federal district judge in New York granting the singer’s motion to dismiss.
In June, North Carolina filmmaker Matthew Fulks filed suit against Beyonce, along with Sony, HBO and others, claiming that the trailer for Beyonce’s HBO film and the subsequent film itself infringed on his 2014 project “Palinoia.”
Fulks claimed that the two works bore substantial similarities, “including, but not limited to, the ‘Palinoia’ work’s visual and auditory elements, visual and auditory sequence, themes, format, mood, setting plot and pace, all of which create a protectable total concept and feel.”
Beyonce’s legal team fired back in July, stating that the suit should be tossed.
“[A] straightforward comparison of the parties’ works provides a textbook example of what does not constitute [a] legally cognizable claim of infringement,” a motion to dismiss the suit read.
On Wednesday, a judge sided with Beyonce and her fellow defendants, stating, “Upon full consideration of the parties’ briefs and oral arguments, the Court grants defendant’ motion.”
