Jay Z - Copyright

4. Has the artist ever expressed a view on copyright or been involved in a copyright case?

Jay Z was recently taken to court by the family of an Egyptian singer, who claimed that he had infringed copyright by sampling one of their father's tracks.  They claimed that because of the lyrical context in which the sample appeared, their father's cultural beliefs would have prevented him from granting permission for its use.  However, Jay Z had paid the record company that owned the copyright on the song and the judge dismissed the case, leaving Jay Z in the clear.  This shows that although the father created the music that Jay Z sampled, the record company owned the copyright on it and were, therefore, entitled to licence (allow its use) it as they saw fit.