Silicon Valley couple accused of stealing AI music – Business News
A Grammy-winning artist and his mogul music supervisor declare they had been swindled out of hundreds of thousands by a rich Silicon Valley energy couple who stole their AI software program thought in an elaborate scheme, an explosive lawsuit claims.
Songwriter and music producer Warren “Oak” Felder, who has written songs for Mariah Carey and Britany Spears, and his industry veteran companion Lucas Keller are suing tech husband and spouse powerhouses Walter and Samia De Brouwer, accusing them of stealing their music copyright software program.
The court docket papers filed in Los Angeles set up a dramatic battle between the uber-rich Bay Area entrepreneurs and Southern California artists who declare they’ve been robbed of not less than $5 million.
Samia and Walter De Brouwer are accused of stealing music copyright software program. Instagram/@sam_dbdb
Songwriter and music producer Oak Felder filed the swimsuit in Los Angeles. Getty Images for BMI
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Music industry veteran Lucas Keller can be half of the swimsuit towards the De Brouwers. Getty Images for Variety
“Unscrupulous Silicon Valley scammers Walter and Samia De Brouwer put money before morals, exploiting the ideas and labor of a prolific songwriter and music producer,” the court docket papers state.
Keller, who constructed world expertise management company Milk and Honey Music + Sports, which boasts Kansas City Chiefs Travis Kelce as a shopper, met the De Brouwers round 2016 they usually “became close family friends,” in accordance with the swimsuit.
Keller constructed world expertise management company that features Kansas City Chief Travis Kelce as a shopper. Getty Images
The 25-year music industry veteran says that in 2023 he, Felder and the De Brouwers mentioned developing software program to create music utilizing AI.
Keller and Felder talked concerning the addition of a “copyright checker” in order that the software program would flag copyrighted chords,” the papers declare.
“Unscrupulous Silicon Valley scammers Walter and Samia De Brouwer put money before morals,” the submitting says. Instagram/@sam_dbdb
“The De Brouwers were enamored with the concept and wanted to be involved,” the lawsuit claims.
The tech couple agreed that if the 2 artists wrote the software program, together with the so-called copyright checker, the Brouwers would pay Keller and Felder in stock choices from their company Snowcrash, the lawsuit claims.
Snowcrash awarded Keller and Felder 345,000 shares every to be vested between November 2023 and November 2028 on Carta.com, and Keller and Felder every accepted, the papers say.
“The De Brouwers were enamored with the concept and wanted to be involved,” the lawsuit claims.
Shortly afterward, the De Brouwers “busied themselves with their fraudulent scheme” after they “coerced” Felder and Keller to assign the software program patent to Snowcrash, in accordance with the lawsuit.
The De Brouwers then shaped a new company, Sound Patrol, and used that company to buy just about all of Snowcrash’s belongings, together with the patent, the papers learn.
The De Brouwers agreed that if Keller and Felder wrote the software program, they’d pay the 2 artists in stock choices.
The transfer “drove the value of Felder and Keller’s stock options six feet under,” and the De Brouwers ended up “landing a highly lucrative licensing deal with Universal Music Group and Sony Music” with Sound Patrol the lawsuit claims.
“Sound Patrol has not paid a penny to Keller or Felder for their work developing the software or for the patent,” the lawsuit claims.
The duo say they’re owed in extra of $5 million and are searching for damages and the appropriate to the software program patent.
Songwriter and producer Felder has offered over 100 million data. Sportsfile by way of Getty Images
Walter De Brouwer is listed as a co-founder with Hollywood mogul Michael Ovitz (pictured) on the Sound Patrol web site. ASSOCIATED PRESS
The De Brouwers are tech giants, having based the AI company Doc.ai in 2016, which was then acquired by digital health company Sharecare, in accordance with the company’s web site.
Walter De Brouwer is listed as a co-founder together with Hollywood mogul Michael Ovitz on the Sound Patrol web site.
“With Michael Ovitz as Co-Founder, SoundPatrol gained direct access to the global entertainment industry, accelerating its deployment across music, sports, streaming, and beyond,” the web site says.
Sound Patrol can be listed within the lawsuit as a defendant.
Both the De Brouwers and Sound Patrol had been contacted for remark by The California Post.
Keller represents over 70 high singers and songwriters and Felder has offered over 100 million data, the papers say.
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