(Jamaica Observer) Jamaican choreographer Dr L’Antoinette Stines is seeking in excess of US$150,000 in her suit against entertainment mogul Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter and his pop music superstar wife Beyoncé Knowles-Carter.
Stines is artistic director of L’Acadco, a united Caribbean dance force.
In court documents, obtained by the Jamaica Observer’s Splash, Stines who is listed as the plaintiff is seeking general damages in an amount to be proven at trial in excess of US$75,000; special damages to be proven at trial also in excess of US$75,000; attorney’s fees; and for any other and further legal and equitable relief the court deems fit.
The complaint, filed in the United States District Court Central District Court of California and dated June 16, demands for a jury trial against pop music’s power couple and BJC Touring Inc. The documents list three counts — copyright infringement, violations of Stines’ right of publicity and /or additionally, or in the alternative, a claim for unjust enrichment. The documents also note that Stines may move to amend these counts should additional counts/claims against the Carters be discovered.
The claim allows Stines to claim additional amounts. The documents noted that she is entitled to recover damages for costs that she has sustained and will sustain as well as any gains, profits, and advantages obtained by the defendants. She is also claiming to recover statutory damages as a result of the use of her vocals.
The complaint noted that Stines, who is 68 years old, was propositioned by the couple in March of 2018 to bring dancers to the set of a visual production that was intended to promote their tour The Carters and the album Everything Is Love. In addition to providing the dancers for the video — which was shot on location in the Corporate Area, including Trench Town — Stines was also requested to speak in the video concerning her thoughts about love, and was told that only her voice would be used in the video which was for promotional purposes.
Stines alleges, in the document, that while on location she was provided with an agreement which she was told she must sign. She was not given the opportunity to consult with counsel, and was assured that she had nothing to worry about as only her voice would be used in the promotional video.
To the shock, horror and chagrin of Dr Stines, the project [Everything is Love] featured the unauthorised exploitation of her vocals on a song known as Black Effect,” the court documents noted.
“Dr Stines’ horror and chagrin was compounded when she realised that not only were her vocals featured on the recording in the project, but she also discovered that she was not even credited by the defendants for providing her vocals,” the documents further stated.
Stines’ vocals are said to feature in the first 60 seconds (just over 19 per cent) of the recording which is five minutes and 13 seconds long.
