Mike Tyson sued for copyright infringement

Photo Credit: Mike Tyson by Super Festivals / CC by 2.0

A producer who worked with Jay-Z, DMX, and Ja Rule is suing Mike Tyson for his allegedly unauthorized use of the 1998 track “Murdergram.”

Veteran producer Tyrone Fyffe, also known as Sugarless, is suing boxer Mike Tyson over the use of “Murdergram” in a now-deleted Instagram video. Fyffe co-wrote and produced the Jay-Z, DMX, and Ja Rule track—though none of those artists are involved in the lawsuit against Tyson.

According to Fyffe’s complaint, Tyson was reportedly paid over $20 million for his participation in the fight. The video he posted to Instagram that used the song was integral in hyping the fight that ultimately broke Netflix viewing records. Fyffe is seeking a portion of Tyson’s profits from the fight and is requesting royalties for the unauthorized use of “Murdergram.” He also wants to block Tyson’s future use of the song.

“Neither plaintiff nor any of his representatives granted defendant Tyson permission to use the song title ‘Murdergram’ to promote his boxing match with Jake Paul,” reads the lawsuit. “By listing the song title ‘Murdergram’ on his Instagram post, defendant Tyson misled viewers to believe that plaintiff endorsed, or was affiliated or associated with, him and/or his participation in the match.”

“Defendant Tyson’s conduct was intentional, willful, and with full knowledge of plaintiff’s copyright in the song,” the filing continues. “As a consequence of defendant Tyson’s infringement, plaintiff has suffered, and will continue to suffer, economic losses and damage to his copyright in the song.”

Fyffe’s isn’t the only lawsuit to come from the Mike Tyson and Jake Paul bout. Last year, a Florida resident filed suit against Netflix for its alleged failure to adequately livestream the match to all viewers. That filing alleged that he and others were “faced with legendary problems, including: no access, streaming glitches, and buffering issues.” He sued the streaming platform for breach of contract and was seeking unspecified damages.