Photo Credit: Regard – Ride It (Official Video)
Regard’s ‘Ride It,’ the viral remix of Jay Sean’s 2008 track of the same name, is the focus of an infringement lawsuit over an uncleared sample.
The year is 2019, and DJ Regard’s “Ride It” remix is a huge hit on TikTok, leading to over a billion streams on Spotify and similar success on other streaming platforms. Now, the track is the focus of a copyright infringement lawsuit for using an allegedly uncleared sample of the original 2008 Jay Sean song from which it is remixed.
Independent label 2Point9 Records, which released the original Jay Sean track, is suing Ministry of Sound Recordings, the label under which DJ Regard released his remix. 2Point9 says the sample used in the remix was never cleared before it was released, but was re-recorded months after the fact to omit the original uncleared sample, “by which time the track had become a commercial success.”
2Point9 claims it was willing to discuss terms for the use of its master recordings, alleging that Ministry of Sond knew in June 2019 that DJ Regard’s remix used an uncleared sample. “Ministry of Sound Recordings chose not to enter into any meaningful commercial discussions, electing instead to proceed with its release,” says 2Point9 in an official statement.
Upon 2Point9’s initial contact with Ministry of Sound, the latter allegedly claimed it had re-recorded the sample, but later admitted to releasing a version that still contained it. It was only after the first release using the uncleared sample that Ministry of Sound re-recorded the sample — by which time the remix was already a massive success.
“Ministry of Sound has treated our label with arrogance and dismissiveness, and the irony is not lost on us that before its acquisition by Sony Music Entertainment, Ministry of Sound Recordings was an independent label itself,” says 2Point9 co-founder Billy Grant.
“Why they think that this kind of behavior against a small label is acceptable is bewildering. However, we are determined to make them realize that it is not OK to ride roughshod over the commercial rights of those in the independent sector and that there are consequences for doing so,” Grant concludes. “Commencing legal action is the next step in that process.”
