Judge throws out copyright claims against 50 Cent

A judge has dismissed a copyright infringement lawsuit accusing rapper 50 Cent of stealing the opening line for his 2003 hit In Da Club from a song by former 2 Live Crew frontman Luther Campbell.

US District Judge Paul Huck found that the disputed phrase was a “common, unoriginal, and non-copyrightable element of the song” and was not entitled to copyright protection.