Kanye West reportedly ordered to pay hefty legal fees for refusing to provide documents in ‘Donda’ copyright lawsuit 

Kanye West, aka Ye, has reportedly been ordered to pay $52,015 in legal fees in relation to a copyright lawsuit against him. The rapper and his team failed to provide the documents required for discovery in the case.

West released his 10th studio album, Donda, on August 29, 2021. In 2023, Artist Revenue Advocates LLC filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against him. They claim that he used music by DJ Khalil and two other musicians on his tracks, Hurricane and Moon.

While they are credited as producers and songwriters on the songs, the plaintiffs allege that they never permitted Ye to use their music. As part of their lawsuit, the rapper was required to share documents for discovery. The plaintiffs made 65 separate requests, but Kanye West and his team failed to comply.

Per AllHipHop, the court has ordered West to pay Artist Revenue Advocates LLC's legal fees of $52,015. The rapper has also been ordered to provide the required documents. Ye's legal team labeled the amount “excessive” and urged the judge to reduce it to $15,000. However, the judge didn't change the order.

This, meanwhile, is just part of the lawsuit, as the copyright infringement case is ongoing. Following the sharing of documents, the plaintiffs will proceed with the lawsuit in court.

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Kanye West's documentary is soon to be released in limited theaters

67th Annual GRAMMY Awards - Arrivals (Image Source: Getty)

Ye's documentary, In Whose Name?, will be released in around 1000 theaters in the US on September 19, 2025. The trailer was released on August 28, 2025, and had various moments that garnered fans' attention.

The documentary will showcase Kanye West's life from 2018 to 2024. It will feature the likes of his ex, Kim Kardashian, Drake, Elon Musk, and Playboi Carti, among others. In one clip of the trailer, Ye says,

“The best thing about being an artist who’s bipolar is anything you do and say is an art piece."

He also references his split with multiple brands like Adidas and Gap following his antisemitic remarks in 2022, saying:

“Should I have blown up the Gap sh–? Should I have blown up the Adidas sh–? But the answer is yes.”

Meanwhile, part of the description of the documentary reads,

“A documentary six years in the making. 3,000 hours of footage refined to one story about the world’s most polarizing living artist.”

Tickets for In Whose Name? can be purchased on the documentary's official website.

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Kanye West releases a blockchain ecosystem

Aside from his entertainment business, Ye is also looking to move into FinTech. On August 20, 2025, he announced the launch of the YZY coin, which can be traded on the Solana blockchain.

Along with the coin, he also launched Ye Pay and YZY Card. Ye Pay allows users to do transactions online using their cryptocurrency coins at a rate lower than the standard 3.5%. Meanwhile, using the YZY Card, users can do all transactions using their cryptocurrency tokens without having to convert them to fiat currency.

As per Forbes, the YZY coin reached $3 billion in the market but dropped to $1.5 billion soon after.

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