Lil Wayne has been named as the defendant in a new copyright infringement and unfair competition suit filed a Manhattan court on Thursday (July 24).
The owners of portions of the Rolling Stones’ catalogue are seeking unspecified damages for what they say is the rapper’s unauthorized use of the song “Play With Fires,” by creating a song by the same title.
According to Reuters, Abkco Music Inc. accuses Wayne, born Dwayne Carter, those with whom he collaborated on the track, and Cash Money Records, of releasing an altered version of the Stones’ recording, borrowing too closely from the song’s original lyrics and music.
One example cited is Lil Wayne‘s use of the line “but you can’t blame me if I set this stage on fire,” which Abkco says is too similar to “but don’t play with me, ’cause you’re playing with fire” from the original.
Abkco also takes issue with what they call “explicit, sexist and offensive language” used on Wayne’s “Play With Fire,” which appears on his latest release Tha Carter III.
The company states in it’s suit that the similarities between the two versions could lead audiences to believe that Abkco and the Rolling Stones approved the alleged “remake.”
This is the second lawsuit levied against Lil’ Wayne this year, for a track featured on Tha Carter III, which slipped to the number 2 position on the Billboard 200 chart this week, after a five-week run in the top slot.
In May, popular South African singer Karma-Ann Swanepoel accused him of using her track “Once” on the controversial song “I Feel Like Dying,” which started out as a popular mixtape release before being added to the new album.
