Another Songwriter Sues Black Eyed Peas

A third songwriter has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against the Black Eyed Peas for allegedly copying portions of his song in the group’s hit “I Gotta Feeling.”

The complaint claims the Black Eyed Peas intentionally copied Texas songwriter Bryan Pringle’s song “Take A Dive” when they wrote and recorded the Grammy-winning hit “I Gotta Feeling,” according to a statement from the Miller Canfield law firm.

The lawsuit claims Pringle copyrighted “Take A Dive” in 1998 and had been regularly sending his demos to Interscope Records, UMG and EMI over a 10-year period. It further alleges those parties told Pringle they’d received his music but were not interested in signing him or purchasing any of his songs, the statement said.

Meanwhile, a lawsuit originally filed in Chicago federal court in January by Ebony Latrice Batts, who performs as Phoenix Phenom, and Manfred Mohr has been re-filed in Los Angeles.

That complaint alleges the Peas’ “Boom Boom Pow” rips off Batts’ “Boom Dynamite,” which the duo wrote in 2007.

Batts and Mohr claim they posted a YouTube video at the time and submitted “Boom Dynamite” to Interscope in hopes of collaborating with the Peas’ Fergie on the song.

In both filings, the plaintiffs’ claim that the similarities between their songs and the Black Eyed Peas’ songs can’t be ignored. They seek actual damages, disgorgement of net profits received by the alleged defendants from the two songs along with future credits and royalty payments, according to the law firm.

Also named in both lawsuits are Interscope Records, UMG Recordings and EMI.

The songs can be heard here:

“Take A Dive” by Bryan Pringle.

“I Gotta Feeling” by Black Eyed Peas.