Kanye West heads to court to recover lost fortunes over leaked songs

Kanye West is in court over his songs leaked recently on Instagram. He filed a lawsuit in California on Wednesday, September 6, 2023, against the person(s) or entity(s) behind the unauthorized release and distribution of his music on social media.

According to court documents sighted by The Blast, the American rapper and music producer is “suing for misappropriation of trade secrets and breach of contract after several songs were leaked on Twitter and Instagram.” The songs, which the court documents referred to as “Listed Compositions”, were “improperly released” on an Instagram page owned by the hand “daunreleasedgod_,” the news outlet said.

The rapper’s lawyers claim that the Instagram handle went on a leaking marathon from March 3, 2023, up to late August, illegally releasing tracks, including “We Did It Kid,” “Shy Can’t Look,” “NASDAQ,” “Mr. Miyagi,” and collaborations with other artists, and the unauthorized footage of a Donda listening party.

According to Billboard, “the lawsuit does not name @daunreleasedgod_ or any of its other variations as a defendant in the case, only that it was the main distribution vehicle for the leaks.”

The court documents indicate that the American billionaire “doesn’t know the true names or capacities” of the defendant(s) but stated further that “the defendant, without authorization, license, or permission from Ye, improperly leaked, published and distributed multiple Listed Compositions including but not limited to the following found on “Instagram” and ‘X’ (formerly known as Twitter).”

West’s lawsuit alleges that the actions of the defendant(s) have caused “substantial harm” to his “work, reputation, and potential income.” He also says that he has “suffered significant financial losses and damages” as a “direct result” of the unauthorized actions.

The rapper’s team insists that the social media account exposed his “trade secret” and “knowingly and unlawfully acquired, disclosed, and distributed Ye’s trade secrets, the proprietary musical compositions, violating their legal and ethical obligations.”

“Ye’s musical composition, with its distinctive arrangement and unique elements, constitutes a trade secret due to its economic value, secrecy, and the efforts taken to safeguard it,” the court documents state.

The Atlanta-born singer, songwriter, and fashion designer is reportedly seeking legal fees and permanent injunction, “enjoining and restraining Defendants and their agents, servants, employees, representatives, affiliated companies and other business entities, successors, assigns, and those acting in concert with them or at their direction, from further misappropriation, disclosure or unlawful use of the trade secret or confidential information in any manner or any right in and to the Listed Compositions, including without limitation by directly or indirectly reproducing, downloading, distributing, communicating to the public, uploading, linking to, transmitting, publicly performing, or otherwise exploiting in any manner the Listed Compositions.”