Roddy Ricch Wins Copyright Battle Over 'The Box' as Judge Rules No Substantial Similarity
A federal judge has dismissed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Roddy Ricch over his hit song "The Box," which has garnered over 1.8 billion Spotify streams.
Wooden courtroom gavel
The lawsuit, initially filed by California musician Greg Perry (now represented by Peabody & Company following Perry's passing), claimed that "The Box" had unauthorized elements from the 1975 track "Come On Down."
Judge Analisa Torres ruled that "no reasonable jury could find that the works are substantially similar" after applying the "ordinary observer test." The judge noted fundamental differences between the works:
- "Come On Down" is a soul song with melodic tunes
- "The Box" is a hip-hop song delivered in monotone rap
The court determined that the elements cited by the plaintiff, including:
- Two-chord progression
- Ascending scale played as a glissando Were not "protectable as a matter of law."
The ruling referenced Ed Sheeran's recent infringement suit victory and emphasized the distinction between recording and composition rights. Judge Torres concluded that "The Box" differs from the plaintiff's musical composition in all claimed similarity components.
Roddy Ricch faces Box copyright suit
The case was dismissed with prejudice, marking a definitive victory for Roddy Ricch, who is expected to release his third studio album in 2024.