Jay Z and Timbaland Triumph in "Big Pimpin" Lawsuit

Photo by Colin Kerrigan

Jay Z and Timbaland have triumphed in a long-running lawsuit over his hit 1999 song “Big Pimpin'”. In Los Angeles today, U.S. District Judge Christina A. Snyder dismissed the copyright infringement case brought by Osama Fahmy, a nephew of the late Egyptian composer Baligh Hamdi, whose song “Khosara, Khosara” is sampled on the track, The Hollywood Reporter reports.

Fahmy claimed that “Big Pimpin'” violated Hamdi’s “moral rights“, per Egyptian law, in that Jay Z and Timbaland didn’t get Hamdi’s family’s permission to use the sample. Today, Snyder declared that the Egyptian law did not apply. As The Hollywood Reporter reports, Snyder said, “Fahmy lacked standing to pursue his claim. In light of that decision, it will not be necessary to submit to the jury whether ‘Big Pimpin’ infringed ‘Khosara Khosara’.”

Lawyers for Carter and Timbaland reportedly told jurors that Hamdi’s family had been repeatedly paid for the use of the “Khosara Khosara” sample. They claim they licensed the song through EMI.

Last week, Jay Z and Timbaland both testified in the trial. During his time on the stand, Jay joked about Kanye and “forgot” about his music streaming service, Tidal, when listing his business interests. 

Update: Timbaland’s lawyer, Christine Lepera of Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP, said in a statement:

We and our clients obviously are very pleased with this decision. The court correctly ruled that the Plaintiff had no right to bring this case and cannot pursue any claim of infringement in connection with “Big Pimpin’” whatsoever. Defendants have maintained throughout that Mr. Fahmy has no right to sue for infringement in connection with Big Pimpin’ and that fact has now been established.

Lepera’s co-counsel, David Steinberg, added: “After a lengthy litigation, Defendants have been vindicated in their position that they have every right to exploit “Big Pimpin’” wherever they choose, including in records, films, and concerts.”