Mariah Carey named in copyright complaint
A singer demands $450,000 from Mariah Carey and Island Def Jam Music Group, claiming the tune "My Love" was based on his composition, "Are You the One". Trent Farmer and DeMario Driver also sued Terius Youngdell Nash pka "The Dream", who recorded "My Love", and others in Federal Court.
Farmer claims John Huffman IV, of Real Content Media Group, approached him in May 2008 about a song Farmer's recording of "Are You the One". Farmer claims that Huffman told him "he thought this was a great song", but that the chorus needed work. Farmer claims that Farmer asked him to send him the recording, without the chorus, via email.
Farmer says Huffman boasted about how much his producer liked the track "and how it would be a great opportunity to have a platinum producer co-produce the track with [Farmer]" and his partner, DeMario Driver. Farmer says Huffman circulated the recording to Carey, Island Def Jam Music Group, and the singer Terius Youngdell Nash pka "The Dream".
Farmer says he realized his song had been stolen when he heard The Dream's ditty, "My Love", which Farmer claims is identical to "Are You the One". "The songs contain identical melodic coding and the same harmonic protocols that are readily discernible to the human ear," the complaint states.
Farmer says he asked Huffman, "Why did you steal my song?" and Huffman replied, "We can work this out." He claims they met to discuss the "obvious infringement" and work out a settlement. But Huffman cut off communication with Farmer after the meeting and never paid him for the "callously stolen" song, Farmer says.
Farmer demands damages for copyright infringement and conversion, and a court order prohibiting the defendants from continuing to disseminate his song. He is represented by Brittany Starr Armstrong of Emeryville, California. (Courthouse News Service)
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