Childish Gambino Scores Legal Victory as Federal Appeals Court Rejects Kidd Wes’ Lawsuit Over “This Is America”

Childish Gambino Scores Legal Victory as Federal Appeals Court Rejects Kidd Wes’ Lawsuit Over “This Is America”

Childish Gambino, also known as Donald Glover, has come out on top in a major legal battle after a federal appeals court dismissed Kidd Wes’ latest attempt to sue him over the hit song “This Is America.” Wes, a rapper, accused Gambino of copyright infringement, claiming that the song plagiarized his own 2016 track, “Made in America.”

This victory for Gambino comes after Wes previously lost his initial lawsuit against the artist in 2023. The court ruled that Wes had failed to properly copyright the underlying musical composition of his original song. Despite this, even if Wes had obtained the correct copyright, Judge Victor Marrero stated that he did not believe Gambino had infringed on Wes’ work.

In a statement, Judge Marrero explained, “Even if [Kidd Wes] had a copyright registration for the composition … dismissal would be warranted here because the elements of [the] composition purportedly infringed upon are insufficiently original to warrant protection or because they are not substantially similar to the challenged Composition.”

Gambino’s legal victory comes on the heels of his surprise release of the project “Atavista,” a reissued version of his fourth studio album, “3.15.20.” The artist took to Twitter to announce the project, stating that it is the finished version of the album released four years ago. He also teased a new album coming out in the summer and an upcoming tour, “The New World Tour.”

Fans can revisit the politically charged video for “This Is America” and stay tuned for updates on Childish Gambino’s latest projects on HotNewHipHop. Despite the legal troubles, Gambino continues to push forward with his music career, proving that he is a force to be reckoned with in the industry.