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DJ Vlad has filed a federal lawsuit against rapper Joyner Lucas, accusing him of copyright infringement after Lucas allegedly reposted a VladTV interview clip without permission. According to an exclusive report from AllHipHop's Grouchy Greg, Vlad is seeking up to $150,000 in statutory damages, reimbursement for legal fees, and a permanent injunction barring Joyner Lucas from using or sharing any VladTV content in the future. The lawsuit also requests a full accounting of any profits Lucas may have generated from the viral post. Vlad-- whose real name is Vlad Lyubovny and who owns Hot In Here, Inc., the parent company of VladTV-- claims Lucas posted a five-minute segment from the outlet’s popular interview series to his X (formerly Twitter) account on July 6. He claims that he intentionally cropped out VladTV’s watermark and failing to provide credit. The clip in question features comedian Aries Spears mocking British rap, originally titled "Aries Spears Clowns British Rappers: That S**t Sounds Ridiculous! (Part 12)." The lawsuit alleges Lucas uploaded the video to his 1.5 million followers, where it quickly gained viral traction. Moreover, it racked up over 4.4 million views, 2,800 reposts, and 20,000 likes before being removed following a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) takedown request. Read More: Joyner Lucas Cannot Stop Making Fun Of Skepta's Third Diss "JUNIOR'S LAW" Joyner Lucas Faces Lawsuit Apr 27, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; American Rap Artist Joyner Lucas watches the pitch during the first half of a match between the New England Revolution and the Inter Miami at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports via Imagn Images Vlad’s legal team argues that Lucas knowingly shared the copyrighted material to boost engagement on his platform and promote his music and merchandise. The suit also claims Lucas “encouraged” fans to repost the video, resulting in unauthorized distribution across social media. However, in an unexpected twist, the complaint reveals that Vlad initially sought to resolve the matter privately. He reportedly offered to drop any legal claims in exchange for a VladTV interview with Joyner Lucas. However, negotiations allegedly collapsed after Lucas’s manager, Dhruv Joshi, sent an "expletive-filled text message" from Joyner’s phone to Vlad’s legal representatives, effectively shutting that down. "Dear vlad…. Suck my d**k. Call your attorney and do whatever you have to do," Joyner's text wrote. "I wasn’t ever doing an interview with you before in this lifetime and your def not a getting an interview now. So settle your legal matters however you want to settle them p**sy. I always thought you was a b**ch and this just confirms the kind of b**ch you are. No way in this lifetime or the next will I ever allow someone like you to try to extort me out of an interview. You got me all the way f**ked up." Hot In Here, Inc. is now seeking damages and a court order preventing further use of its intellectual property.
