Parkwood Entertainment Prevails in Copyright Lawsuit Over Beyoncé's 'Alien Superstar' Sample
Beyoncé's label and management company, Parkwood Entertainment, recently won a copyright lawsuit related to the EDM sample used in her popular 2022 track "Alien Superstar." The lawsuit, filed by Hirose Enterprises LLC, claimed ownership of the 1998 John Holiday song "Moonraker," which was sampled at the beginning of "Alien Superstar." However, the court ruled in favor of Parkwood, stating that Hirose Enterprises did not have the legal standing to sue as it was formed after the lawsuit was filed.
Parkwood had obtained clearance for the sample from John Holiday, who was compensated for the use of his work in "Alien Superstar." Despite Hirose Enterprises' claim of owning the "Moonraker" copyrights through the now-defunct indie label Soundmen on Wax, the court found that there was no documentation to support this transfer of rights. As a result, the lawsuit was dismissed by Judge Mark C. Scarsi on the grounds of Hirose Enterprises' lack of legal existence at the time of filing.
The dismissal of the lawsuit means that Parkwood Entertainment, along with Sony Music Entertainment, Sony Music Publishing, and Warner Chappell, are no longer facing legal action over the copyright claims. Beyoncé herself was not directly involved in the lawsuit, and representatives for the parties involved have not commented on the ruling. Hirose Enterprises has the option to appeal the dismissal if they wish to pursue the copyright claims further.