Beyoncé Sued Over 'Lemonade' Trailer For Allegedly Copying Short Film
Watch and compare both works here.
Fresh off winning the CFDA’s Fashion Icon Award, and the RIAA announcing that her sixth album Lemonade has gone platinum, Beyoncé’s banner week is being marred by a lawsuit filed against her.
THR reports that independent filmmaker Matthew Fulks is suing the singer, Sony, Columbia, and Parkwood Entertainment over the trailer for Lemonade‘s visual album, claiming that it copies, without his permission, several elements from his 2014 short film Palinoia.
Fulks argues that he has reason to believe Beyoncé’s team was well aware of his mini-movie. He had previously been contacted by band MS MR, a Columbia Records signee, about an opportunity to direct one of their music videos. As a result, links to Palinoia were sent to several people, including Bryan Younce, the company’s Senior Vice President of Video and Content Production.
Fulks claims that Younce then requested his email in July 2015, and invited him to submit the video treatment for MS MR to be considered by Columbia. He then argues that filming for Lemonade began just later that year.
The similarities in question include, “graffiti and persons with heads down,” “red persons with eyes obscured,” “parking garage,” “black and white eyes,” “the grass scene,” “side-lit ominous figures,” and more.
The complaint states, “The misappropriated content includes both the particular elements that the Plaintiff chose to comprise the Palinoia work and the coordination and arrangement of those particular elements.”
Fulks is seeking all the profits “attributed to exploitation of his work,” including a percentage of Lemonade sales.
Watch and compare below.