'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Rapper Future is reportedly facing a copyright infringement lawsuit. According to an October 12 exclusive by AllHipHop, photographer Garey C. Gomez accused the rapper of using his photographs in his latest album, Mixtape Pluto. Gomez filed the lawsuit against Future for using copyrighted photos of the Dungeon Family home. The images appeared on the cover art of the album and related merchandise.
Per Complex, the Atlanta-based photographer filed the lawsuit on October 2. The photographer filed the lawsuit against Titol Retail LLC and Wilburn Holding Company Inc., companies associated with Future's record label Freebrandz. As per the court documents reviewed by the outlet, the photographer alleged,
"[Defendants] copied Gomez’s copyrighted works from the internet in order to advertise, market and promote their business activities. [And used them] for purposes of advertising and promoting sales to the public."
Trending
The lawsuit documents shared by AllHipHop noted that Gomez registered the photographs at issue with the Register of Copyrights in June 2021 and attached the certificate of registration with the filing. The document further stated that the defendants had "never been licensed" to use the plaintiff's work. The report stated that the photographer tried to contact the rapper’s team, but they were unable to reach an agreement.
Media reports stated that the photographer alleged "irreparable" harm and sought unspecified damages, including "profits attributable to the infringement."
Mixtape Pluto, at the center of this lawsuit, was released in September last year. The 17-track album debuted at the top spot on the Billboard 200 and became his third record of the past year to achieve this feat.
Future's connection with the Dungeon Family home
For the unversed, the Dungeon Family was a musical group that focused on Southern hip hop. The Dungeon Family home was Rico Wade's mother's house, located in Georgia. The basement of this place was used as a recording space for the production trio, Organized Noize.
The home served as a hub for the artistic production of many hits in Southern hip hop in the 1990s. As per HotNewHipHop, rapper Big Boi purchased the house in 2019 to maintain its legacy.
Future also started his career as "Meathead" at this place. Many saw his new album as a tribute to Rico Wade, who passed away last year. Future is among the second-generation artists of the Dungeon Family.
The Dungeon Family will reunite later this month at ONE Musicfest in Atlanta. The event is scheduled to take place on October 25 and 26 at Piedmont Park. The hip hop group will share the stage to honor Wade. Future will be co-headlining the festival.
Notably, this is not the first time Future has faced a copyright lawsuit. Earlier in 2021, Gutta filed a lawsuit against the Atlanta rapper for his 2018 song When I Think About It. According to Reuters, Gutta accused the Like That artist of using a similar title and themes to his song When U Think About It. However, the court dismissed the lawsuit, ruling that the two songs were not similar.
