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Kanye West is facing a six-figure fine over an uncleared sample used on his song Hurricane, which he played for 40,000 fans at a 2021 listening event in Atlanta.
On Tuesday, May 12, a jury found Ye infringed the copyright of an unreleased demo track by sampling it.
The ruling came after the rapper testified that the sample was only used in the early version, and it was removed from the track after the event due to the absence of legal clearance.
In a verdict delivered on Tuesday afternoon, eight jurors unanimously decided to hold Kanye liable for $176,153 and his company, Yeezy LLC, for $176,153.
His retail merchandising companies, Yeezy Supply and Mascotte Holdings, were found liable for $41,625 and $44,627, respectively.
"It's a victory for working artists, who typically lack the resources to go against someone like Ye, a megastar and celebrity," Britton Monts, a manager for Artists Revenue Advocates (ARA), which sued on behalf of the four musicians who composed the sample, told Rolling Stone. "The underdogs got their day in court."
Ye has been ordered to pay a total of $438,558 in damages.
During the six-day trial that started last week, ARA's lawyers claimed Kanye earned $5.6 million from a combination of ticket sales to his July 2021 listening party in Atlanta, merchandise sold at the event, and a deal with Apple Music to stream the show.
The song, which featured The Weeknd and Lil Baby, went on to win a Grammy Award for Best Melodic Rap Performance.
