Chris Brown Credibly Accused Of Copyright Infringement In The 'Wobble Up' Video

May 28. 2019

R&B singer Chris Brown has committed copyright infringement. Brown and collaborator Arrad are being slammed for the singer’s new “Wobble Up” music video, which was released this month, as it is a direct rip off of an artist’s preexisting copyrighted work. Graphic artist and photographer, Marius Sperlich, who has worked with a number of clients, has been featured in publications and his work showcased in exhibitions such as Art Basel Miami, released the two works mentioned. One Sperlich's works was released in August and another in October of last year.

Marius Sperlich

One of Sperlich’s preexisting works from August 2018 is a composite photo resembling a woman’s naked backside with a green tree on it, and features people lounging on chairs and towels on said rear end. It is the exact same item that is illegally featured in Chris Brown’s video “Wobble Up” a whole 9-months later, indicating copyright infringement. It's a dead rip-off of Sperlich's work. It's too distinct and close in nature for it not to be.

Comparison photos of Marius Sperlich's preexisting work and Brown's subsequent rip-offs, which have been redacted by me for display on this site, as the photos as they are graphic.

Another preexisting work Sperlich released in October 2018 was infringed for Brown’s same “Wobble Up” video, and features a woman’s right breast, with the nipple turned into a washing machine dial, with the word “temp“ written underneath it. Again, it is too detailed, unusual and completely duplicated for it not to be an infringement. This is unquestionably willful copyright infringement by Brown and Arrad. This is not Brown or Arrad’s work and they are wrong to steal it.

Marius Sperlich's post on Instagram about the infringements by Chris Brown and collaborator Arrad

Sperlich and others have also stated on social networking that Brown and Arrad have ripped off the works of Tony Futura, Jamie Calderon and Catherine Losing for the “Wobble Up” music video, via a series of photos they've ripped off and inserted in the vid. The infringements are crystal clear regarding those photos as well. Again, this is willful copyright infringement, and it is illegal and unethical.

More rip-offs by Chris Brown for the "Wobble Up" video

The legal hurdle of "access" can be proven by the fact that Brown is often on Instagram, where the works he infringed are heavily featured. Brown has posted on a number of Instagram pages, such as that of ex-girlfriend Karrueche Tran, current girlfriend Ammika Harris, and of the popular blog, the Shade Room, among many others. The items he and Arrad infringed have been on Instagram since last year and viewed by a number of people. Sperlich is also a published artist whose work has appeared in the mainstream. Brown needs to pay them for the infringements and give them credit for their work. The story is all over the internet and in some mainstream publications.

Additional rip-offs by Chris Brown for the "Wobble Up" video

Brown has been steadily committing copyright infringement. I’ve noticed some of his songs and music video contain other people’s preexisting copyrighted work. Back in 1992 there was a big hit among black audiences called “I Got A Man" by rapper Positive K. Brown ripped-off some of the lyrics and the theme of the song for his track "Ya Man Ain't Me." In fact, there are a number of infringements in Brown's songs and music videos and it is tarnishing his music legacy. I wrote about some of the infringements in the December 19, 2017 article "Controversy Erupts Over Chris Brown Stating He Sold 75 Million Copies Of His Music Indicating Inaccuracies In Industry Sales Tabulations In America."

STORY SOURCE

“We Won’t Stay Silent”: Artists Slam Chris Brown For ‘Copying’ Their Work In New Music Video

22 May 2019 - Famed abuser, harasser and musician Chris Brown has come under fire for the music video for his latest single, ‘Wobbled Up’ with G-Easy and Nicki Minaj, as two artists claim it rips directly from their work without compensation or credit.

The video, co-directed by Brown and frequent collaborator Arrad, is a surreal, hyper-sexualised journey through a tropical world. And, according to artist Marius Sperlich, it directly rips off two of his works shared online last October and August, which transform nipples into washing machine dials and bums into Island beaches. It, uh, makes more sense when you look at it.

Perlich says that he “won’t stay silent” on the issue, as issues of intellectual property are constant on the internet, and often bigger artists/brands profit off ideas and concepts lifted from ‘young, emerging artists’ who can’t afford to sue. In addition to his own work, Perlich notes similarities to the video’s bright, hyper-sexualised surreal world to the work of artists Tony Futura and Vanessa McKeown...

https://junkee.com

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