Lawyers for Travis Scott, SZA, and Future have filed a motion to dismiss a gospel singer’s copyright lawsuit over their 2023 track, “Telekinesis.” The artists adapted the song from an unreleased demo by Kanye West called “Ultrasounds.” The singer, Victory Boyd, originally sued the group earlier this year. She claimed to have written the lyrics to “Ultrasounds,” which was titled “Like the Way It Sounds" at the time. In turn, she argues she never gave them permission to reuse the song.
Scott, SZA, and Future's attorneys from the firm, McPherson LLP, are countering by claiming the group had express permission from Kanye West, who created the chords, beat, and melody. “To the extent that plaintiffs’ [complaint] survives this motion (which it should not), the facts will demonstrate that defendants’ use, if any, of the LTWIS work was duly authorized by Mr. West, as a joint author of the LTWIS work, having the right and authority to authorize such use,” the legal team wrote.
They went on to downplay the legitimacy of Boyd's individual copyright claims over the lyrics as well. “As a matter of law, lyrics cannot be copyrighted as a standalone work when created in tandem with, or as part of, an inseparable musical composition. Without a valid registration, plaintiffs cannot initiate or maintain a claim for infringement," they explained.
Travis Scott "JackBoys 2"
Boyd’s attorney, Keith White, addressed the motion in a statement to Billboard on Tuesday (July 15). He described it as “an attempt to dismiss straight forward copyright and accounting claims as a delay tactic.” He added: “We will file opposition papers within the next two weeks, and we fully expect Travis Scott’s motion to be summarily denied in short order."
The lawsuit update comes after Travis Scott dropped his newest compilation album from Cactus Jack Records, JackBoys 2. The project features collaborations with Don Toliver, Sheck Wes, SoFaygo, and Wallie the Sensei. In the days since its release, he dropped music videos for the tracks "Dumbo" and "Kick Out."
