Two Utahns are accusing singer-songwriter Mary J. Blige of copyright infringement over the song "Take Me As I Am."
Jay Brian Ballard, of West Valley City, and Kim Jones, of West Jordan, say in a lawsuit filed last month that in 1995 they wrote the lyrics and music of "Take Me As I Am." A decade later, they claim, Blige included a substantially similar version of their song without permission on "The Breakthrough," her multiplatinum-selling album.
The lawsuit, filed Dec. 17 in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, seeks profits from the recording of the song and impoundment of all copies of "Take Me As I Am." Named as defendants are Blige; Geffen Records, a Los Angeles-based record label that released "The Breakthrough"; and Universal Music & Video Distribution.
The defendants could not be reached for immediate comment.
In an unrelated suit filed Dec. 19, two New Jersey men claim the song "Enough Cryin'," also on "The Breakthrough," infringes on a song they wrote.
Jermaine George Jumpp and Michael Clifton Adams Jr. say they submitted a CD in 2001 with five original recordings, including "On My Grind," to the office of a New Jersey producer. In 2005, the producer and others published "Enough Cryin'," performed by Blige, which is substantially similar to "On My Grind," according to their suit, which was filed in U.S. District Court in New Jersey.
