NEW ORLEANS – The sister of the late musical artist known as Messy Mya alleges Beyoncé used his work in a song without authorization.
The Estate of Anthony Barré, and its sole heir, Angel Barré, filed a complaint on Feb. 6 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana against Beyoncé Knowles Carter, Parkwood Entertainment LLC, Sony Music Entertainment, et al alleging that they violated the Copyright Act and Copyright Revision Act.
According to the complaint, the plaintiffs allege that Anthony Barré's words, performance and voice were used in Beyoncé's "Formation" recording and video from her "Lemonade" album without permission. The plaintiffs holds Beyoncé Knowles Carter, Parkwood Entertainment LLC, Sony Music Entertainment, et al. responsible because the defendants allegedly knowingly and willfully infringed and misappropriated Anthony Barré’s actual voice, copyrighted works, and other intellectual properties.
The plaintiffs request a trial by jury and seek award for damages believed to exceed $20 million, attorneys’ fees and costs of this action and such other just and proper relief. They are represented by Roy J. Rodney Jr. and John K. Etter of Rodney & Etter LLC in New Orleans.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana Case number 2:17-cv-01057