Songwriters Dion Norman and Derrick Ordogne voluntarily dismissed their sampling claims against Travis Scott and Sony Music on October 9, according to Billboard reporter Rachel Scharf.
The dispute concerned repeated “alright” vocals in “Stargazing,” from the 2018 album Astroworld, and “Til Further Notice,” from 2023’s Utopia. The plaintiffs alleged that the recordings used material from a 1992 DJ Jimi song without authorization.
Scott and Sony disputed the copyright protection claimed for the repeated phrase. That was their legal position, not a reported court ruling establishing that the disputed use was permissible.
Billboard reported that the dismissal filing did not say whether the parties reached a settlement. The end of the case therefore should not be read as a general clearance rule for short samples.
For independent artists and producers, the reporting leaves the underlying practical question unresolved: what permission is needed for the particular material being used? A headline about a dismissed case cannot supply that answer for another recording.
Source: Rachel Scharf’s Billboard report, syndicated copy.
Prepared with AI assistance and source verification.