Music publisher BMG Rights Management is suing toymaker MGA Entertainment for allegedly making a parody of the hit Black Eyed Peas song My Humps.
It all centers on a music video showing animated dancing unicorn dolls that excrete sparkling slime that’s part of the promotion for its Poopsie Slime Surprise toy line.
The plaintiffs, BMG, maintain My Poops clearly is a rip off of the My Humps melody, tempo, chord progression, and even features a woman vocalist who sounds much like Fergie, who delivered most of the catchy parts in the original, according to Reuters.
Copyright battle: Music publisher BMG Rights Management is suing toymaker MGA Entertainment for allegedly making a parody of the hit Black Eyed Peas song My Humps
Lawsuit: BMG Rights Management, who maintain it owns 75% of the copyright for My Humps, have filed a lawsuit seeking $10 million in damages over the slim-pooping unicorn parody
BMG, who maintain it owns 75% of the copyright for My Humps, claim the toy line has earned MGA Entertainment tens of millions of dollars in profits, largely due to the promotional video with My Poops, which has run without its permission.
The publishing company is asking the court for at least $10 million in damages.
Considering My Humps was a huge hit for the Black Eyed Peas, reaching number three on the Hot 100 in November 2005, and ultimately winning Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards, that amount may not be too farfetched.
Similarities: The plaintiffs, BMG, maintain My Poops clearly is a rip off of the My Humps melody, tempo, chord progression; My Humps was a big hit for Black Eyed Peas in 2005
The first sign of a possible copyright infringement comes in the verse where a woman sings in My Poops: ‘What ya gonna do with all that poop – all that poop- woo woo – I’m gonna poop oh poop poop oh yea – Gonna get loopy off my poopie,’ which sounds a lot like the Black Eyed Peas verse in its sound, phrasing and delivery, but different words
Making its case: BMG claim the toy line has earned MGA Entertainment tens of millions of dollars in profits, largely due to the promotional video with My Poops, which has run without its permission
The first sign of a possible copyright infringement comes in the verse where a woman sings in My Poops: ‘What ya gonna do with all that poop – all that poop- woo woo – I’m gonna poop oh poop poop oh yea – Gonna get loopy off my poopie. ‘
It sounds a lot like the Black Eyed Peas verse in its sound, phrasing and delivery.
‘Whatcha gon’ do with all that junk – All that junk inside your trunk? – I’ma get, get, get, get you drunk – Get you love drunk off my hump,’ Will.i.am and Fergie sing in My Humps.
There’s also similarities with the catchy hook where the unicorns sing ‘ my poops, my poops, my poops, my sparkly glitter poops!’
The Black Eyed Peas deliver the catchy hook much the same with the exception of the lyrics: ‘My hump, my hump, my hump, my hump, my hump – My hump, my hump, my hump, my lovely little lumps.’
The other line of dolls: Some people may recall MGA Entertainment was the company behind the Bratz line of dolls
There’s also similarities with the catchy hook where the unicorns sing ‘my poops, my poops, my poops, my sparkly glitter poops!’
The Black Eyed Peas deliver it much the same with the exception of the lyrics: ‘My hump, my hump, my hump, my hump, my hump – My hump, my hump, my hump, my lovely little lumps.’
MGA ignored cease-and-desist notices from BMG, according to the complaint.
Some people may recall MGA Entertainment was the company behind the Bratz line of dolls.
More similarities: The My Poops version is also being accused of featuring a woman vocalist who sounds much like Fergie, according to lawsuit reported by Reuters
No response: According to Reuters, MGA ignored cease-and-desist notices from BMG
