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Ye Settles Lawsuit Over ‘Gun to My Head’ Sample From Descendant of Holocaust Survivors
Ye has settled Alice Merton’s lawsuit, which alleged that his 2024 track “Gun to My Head” used part of her song “Blindside” without permission. Merton said she had refused to clear the sample because she did not want to be associated with Ye’s past antisemitic remarks; the case had been due to go to trial in March.
A court filing dated 6 November said the settlement depends on both parties completing certain obligations, but gave no terms. Ye’s lawyers had disputed whether Merton had sufficient evidence for her copyright claim and noted that the track was available for purchase for only two days in 2024, never on streaming. A judge had rejected Ye’s request to remove references to the Holocaust and antisemitism from the case. Ye has faced more than a dozen claims over alleged unlicensed samples and was found liable in a separate copyright trial earlier this year.
In short
- Ye and Alice Merton settled her unauthorised sample lawsuit.
- The settlement terms have not been disclosed.
- The track was sold for two days and never streamed.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Merton’s position can be defended on the grounds that artists should control how their work is sampled and the contexts in which it is used, subject to copyright law. Her stated refusal to be associated with Ye’s past antisemitic remarks also reflects a legitimate concern about personal values and the public meaning of a collaboration.
The case against
Ye’s position can be defended on the grounds that a copyright claim must be supported by sufficient evidence, and his lawyers disputed whether Merton had established that the track used protected material unlawfully. They also pointed to its brief availability and absence from streaming as relevant context for assessing the alleged use and any resulting harm; the settlement terms remain undisclosed.
Explained simply
Copyright protects original music, including recordings and compositions, and artists usually need permission to use another person’s work in a new track. Disputes can arise over whether a sample was used and whether it was properly authorised.
Alice Merton is a singer-songwriter whose song “Blindside” was at the centre of the claim. Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, has faced other lawsuits alleging unauthorised use of music; a separate copyright case earlier this year resulted in a finding against him.
Merton said she withheld permission because she did not want her work linked to Ye’s past antisemitic remarks. That context became part of the legal case, which also raised the broader question of how an artist’s public statements can affect another musician’s decision to be associated with their work.
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