Britney Cleared In Copyright Suit

An Indiana man’s copyright infringement lawsuit against Britney Spears was dismissed October 31st after the singer supplied proof she didn’t plagiarize.

Spears attorney David Baum said, “I cannot emphasize enough this was not a settlement but a dismissal.” No money will change hands, he added.

Steve Wallace filed a lawsuit May 5th in federal court naming Spears, Sony/BMG Music Publishing and affiliated recording and publishing companies as defendants, claiming he wrote the song “Sometimes” 15 years ago.

The suit didn’t specify damages outside of $150,000 for each instance the alleged copyright was violated.

The song in question appears on Spears’ 1999 debut album, … Baby One More Time, and last year’s greatest hits album. The complaint acknowledged that Wallace didn’t formally copyright it until 2003.

After writing his song in 1990, Wallace did what’s called a “poor man’s copyright” where he put a copy of the song in a sealed envelope and had it postmarked. He shopped the tune to publishers in 1994.

The pop star obtained a U.S. copyright for “Sometimes” in 1999.