Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign Settle Copyright Infringement Lawsuit with Donna Summer’s Estate Executor

Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign have reached a settlement in a federal copyright infringement lawsuit filed against them by Bruce Sudano, the second husband of Donna Summer and the executor of her estate. The lawsuit, which was filed in February, accused the artists of using elements of Summer’s iconic song “I Feel Love” without permission in their track “Good (Don’t Die,” featured on their album Vultures 1.

According to court documents filed on June 20, the case has been dismissed with prejudice, meaning it cannot be refiled. The terms of the settlement have not been disclosed. Sudano’s lawsuit claimed that West and Ty Dolla $ign had requested clearance to use the 1977 hit but were denied by the estate and Universal Music Enterprises. Despite this, they allegedly used the song’s melody as the hook for “Good (Don’t Die)” and re-recorded recognizable portions of “I Feel Love” with a soundalike singer, making slight changes to the lyrics without permission.

“Good (Don’t Die)” was initially available on digital streaming platforms as part of Vultures 1 but has mostly been unavailable for some time. When contacted by Pitchfork, Stanton “Larry” Stein, an attorney for Bruce Sudano, declined to comment. Pitchfork also reached out to the attorneys for Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign for further information but has not yet received a response.

Settlements are usually a good thing, but it’s unfortunate that it had to come to this for all parties involved.