Judge Shoots Down Mr. Vegas’ Request For Injunction Against VP Records

A New York district judge has denied a request from Dancehall star Mr. Vegas to bar VP Records from collecting royalties for some of his hit songs, which are the subject of a copyright infringement and breach of contract lawsuit.

According to court documents obtained by DancehallMag, Judge Pamela K. Chen shot down Vegas’ motion of preliminary injunction last Thursday (October 27), writing in her order that the artist has “failed to demonstrate either irreparable harm or likelihood of success on the merits.”

The lawsuit was originally filed in the New York court almost two years, and it involves Heads High (1997) and its Kill ‘Em Wid it Re-mix (1998), Sucky Ducky (1998), Hot Wuk (2006), and Gallis (2009).  It also involves four songs from Sean Paul’s debut album Stage One (2000), namely Haffi Get De Gal Ya (Hot Gal Today), Tiger Bone, and the skit Nicky, all of which featured Mr. Vegas, and Check It Deeply, which was produced by Mr. Vegas.

Vegas had sought to prevent VP Records from selling the disputed tracks and exploiting his “image and likeness” while the lawsuit was being litigated.

In the alternative, the Bruk It Down deejay also asked that the Court order the Reggae label to place monies, from the ongoing sales of the disputed songs, into an escrow account pending the outcome of the suit.

In their response to the motion, VP contended that they, Sean Paul, several producers and writers, and the listening public would all be harmed if the injunction were granted to remove the songs from marketplaces and streaming platforms.

VP was keen to note that if the injunction were granted, they would suffer lost income of approximately $35,000 per year on the songs, which are in dispute.

They contended that they and their subsidiary Greensleeves account to Mr. Vegas for 37 recordings in total, most of which are not subject to the lawsuit. Thus, according to them, “Mr. Vegas is clearly not harmed by his association with VP Music or Greensleeves and their sale of recordings on which he appears.”

The company has argued that they own or have licensed the right to sell and market the songs which are at issue in the lawsuit. 

Another major point of contention in the lawsuit is whether VP Records is responsible for an alleged breach of a contract that was signed between Greensleeves Records and Mr. Vegas.

Under that contract, Heads High—which is Mr. Vegas’ most streamed song—and its remix appeared on his 20-track Heads High album, which was released via Greensleeves in 1998. 

Greensleeves was later acquired by VP Records in 2008.

In his complaint, Vegas alleged that prior to the acquisition, Greensleeves paid and accounted for the royalties for the two versions of Heads High. “However since the Acquisition, the Greensleeves’ royalty statements no longer include royalties for the Records,” he claimed.

In response, VP argued that they were not a party to the contract, and that Greensleeves Records was not named as a Defendant in Vegas’ lawsuit even though the company still exists.

Mr. Vegas has been directed to advise the Court, by November 4, 2022, on how he would like to proceed with his case, “in light of the hurdles discussed regarding the copyright infringement claim.”