Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” Profits At Risk Over Unlicensed Sample

Beyoncé is facing a legal battle over a sample used on her 2022 Renaissance album track “Alien Superstar.”

Hirose Enterprise and producer Shuji Hirose filed suit claiming they own the rights to a song called “Moonraker” performed by John Holiday, and that Beyoncé’s team sampled the spoken-word introduction without proper licensing.

The lawsuit reveals a licensing gap that’s raising questions about how the sample was cleared.

According to court documents, Beyoncé’s team never obtained a license before releasing the album but secured one from Holiday himself weeks after the album’s release.

The problem is that Hirose claims Holiday transferred his entire interest in the song decades ago, meaning he had no authority to grant permission.

According to TMZ, the company says it put Beyoncé’s company on notice about the infringement, but the record continued selling.

The case centers on whether Holiday actually owned the rights he licensed to Beyoncé’s team. Hirose is seeking an injunction to stop the song from generating revenue and is asking for unspecified damages.

This isn’t the first time a major artist has faced sample-related legal issues, but the timing here is particularly interesting: the licensing occurred after the album’s release rather than before.

What makes this case notable is the procedural complexity around who actually controls the rights to “Moonraker.”

If Hirose’s claims are accurate, then Holiday may have breached his own obligations by licensing material he no longer owned.

Beyoncé’s Renaissance album has been one of the most successful projects of her career, and “Alien Superstar” remains a fan favorite.

Mike Winslow

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