American singer Miley Cyrus settled a lawsuit brought by Jamaican songwriter Michael May, whose stage name is Flourgon, who alleged copyright infringement. The $300 million lawsuit was filed when May accused Cyrus of stealing the song “We Can’t Stop,” which was a major hit for Cyrus in 2013. May claimed the pop singer stole this song from one he recorded almost 25 years earlier. According to May, the Cyrus song was very similar to his song “We Run Things” that he recorded in 1988. He said this tune was a “reggae favorite” and reached the top of the chart in Jamaica. In the lawsuit, May alleged that Cyrus and RCA Records, her recording label, misappropriated material, such as the phrase “We run things. Things no run we.” Cyrus sang the phrase as “We run things. Things don’t run we.” The parties in the case, including May, Cyrus, Sony – the owner of RCA Records – and others identified as defendants filed a joint stipulation on January 3, 2020, in a federal court in Manhattan that ended the lawsuit “with prejudice.” This means that the suit may not be filed again at a future date. Attorneys for Cyrus stated in a letter dated December 12, 2019, that the settlement agreement had been signed. The letter also stated that the stipulation would be filed “pending payment of the settlement proceeds.” These proceeds were not specified. Cyrus included the song “We Cant’s Stop” on her album entitled “Bangerz.” It reached Number 2 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart in August of 2013. Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” stopped the Cyrus tune from taking the top spot at the time. Thicke’s song was also the subject of a copyright case due to its similarity to the 1977 hit by Marvin Gaye entitled “Got To Give It Up.” None of the attorneys for May or Cyrus had any public comment upon the lawsuit’s settlement.

Photo Source: Michael May Facebook