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Celebrity Justice
*NSYNC *NCOURT Over Song

Posted May 8th 2007 8:00PM by TMZ Staff

Justin Timberlake, Lance Bass and the rest of the boys from *NSYNC, along with their label Jive Records, are being blasted over a hit song from the past that they allegedly ripped off -- and the dispute could cost 'em more than $10 million bucks.

In a lawsuit filed yesterday in a Las Vegas Federal Court, a musician named Troy Alexander (aka "Royal T") claims he met with Jive records in 1990 and introduced them to his demo tape of the song "Up Against the Wall." According to documents, JIVE signed *NSYNC a few years later, who then released a song "substantially similar" to Alexander's work in 2001. The song in question featured the same title and was featured on the smash album "Celebrity." The boys also performed the song on their "PopOdyssey" tour.
NSYNC
According to Troy's attorneys at Callister and Reynolds, the similarities are much more of a "battle of written lyrics," as opposed to sound.

A rep for Jive told TMZ that they were not aware of the claim and had not been served with any papers.

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31. I'm hoping he gets blasted with a countersuit along with the judge blasting him with fines for a frivolous lawsuit.

Posted at 8:30AM on May 9th 2007 by jEnsmo

32. i would have given this an ounce of credence if it was based on the sound of the music. but even he says it's not about the sound. if it's about the lyrics then he's going to have a very hard time. maybe he thinks he's the only "artist" who can start a line w/ "I was..." and the only artist who uses "feeling" in their lyrics. not only do the words not sound alike, the theme is completely different. he's going to lose this case. he's going to be laughed out of court.

Posted at 9:16AM on May 9th 2007 by skeptical at best

33. Give me a break. The lyrics are nothing alike. Do you know how many songs out there have the same title. Just start googling any song out there. Why do people file frivolous lawsuits.

Posted at 12:18PM on May 9th 2007 by susan

34. Wow, it is what it is, but if it isn't it never was....and there isn't a comparison here. One version has a guy being frisked by the police, the other doing a girl in a club. Although they may be both 'Up Against a Wall', if the Nsync version was influenced by Royal T, the girl must have been getting it in a club by a police officer. The girl was being arrested for possession, but the officer wanted a little before he took her away. Wait, I forgot, it was I guy against the wall, ok, then they were at the Back Door Bar, and the officer arrested him there. Not before he grinded him first. I guess it is similar...my bad

Posted at 6:54PM on May 15th 2007 by Riprock

35. Why is he doing this now? This album has been out for six years!!! The lyrics are not similar, when do they say "blow your friggin head off?" Their song is about meeting a girl in the club, his sounds like an angry rap battle. Again why is he bringing this up 6 years later??? This guy is a loser!

Posted at 6:28PM on May 9th 2007 by Beth

36. the songs are about two totally different things. why did he wait this long to sue? it probably took him that long to find something similar to what he did so he can try and get easy money. he's broke...that's my guess. good luck n sync. this other guy is a joke.

Posted at 2:16PM on May 9th 2007 by Rachel

37. ummm... hey Valerie, what tghe hell are you talking about?!?! No one even mentioned the Back Street Boys!.... weirdo!!! I'm assuming someone is a boy band lover... starts with a 'V' ends with an 'e'

Posted at 2:24PM on May 9th 2007 by Valerie is weird...

38. they r totaly diffrent QUIT TRIPPIN

Posted at 4:43PM on May 9th 2007 by hear me

39. LMAO SI THIS MEANT TO BE A JOKE...THOSE LYRICS ARE NOT EVEN SIMILAR

Posted at 4:46PM on May 9th 2007 by shelana

40. TO ALL THE BLIND BATS THAT SAID THERE IS NOTHING SIMILAR, GET YOUR EYES CHECKED. UMMM I THINK ALL THOSE WORDS AND LYRICS UNDERLINED ARE THE WORDS AND LYRICS THAT WERE TAKEN FROM THE ORIGINAL "UP AGAINST THE WALL" FROM DIFFERENT PLACES IN TROYS SONG AND PUT IN NSYNCS VERSION, THATS CRAZY!!! THEY CHANGED THE STORY AND ADDED A FEW LINES OF THEIR OWN, AND MADE A POP SONG LMAO..HALARIOUS!!THE IMBARRASMENT SHOULD BE ON NSYNCS PART, THATS A DAMN SHAME!!!!!!!. LOOKS LIKE TROY GOT ROBBED AND NSYNC GOT CAUGHT, GOOD FOR THEIR ASSES, SUE SUE SUE!!!!!!SAME TITLE, HOOK AND ALL THOSE LYRICS, A COINICIDENCE, LMAO, THEY ARE BUSTED AND U PPL ARE HATING!!!!! I CAN IMAGINE HOW MANY PEOPLE THEY DID THAT TOO THAT DONT HAVE THE POWER TO FIGHT THEM AND GOT AWAY WITH IT. SUE SUE SUE, NSYNC WAS TALKING ABOUT A GIRL, NO PROBABLY LANCE BASS, UP AGAINST THE WALL!!!! THAT IS TOO FUNNY, BUSTED!!!!!!!!!

Posted at 4:38PM on May 9th 2007 by Young P

41. So Justin states "everything he touches turns to gold". Not only did he touch Royal T's song but had the nerve to record it. Now its time for Justin to turn over some of that gold to the real writer of UP AGAINST THE WALL and in the meantime stop reworking other artists' material & claiming it as your own.

Posted at 5:08PM on May 9th 2007 by Someday You'll Pay

42. The law suit is not even worth the time and money that has to be put into it. Honestly, If they stold the song...i mean you would need a little more prof other then singled out words that are commenly use like "girl....ball.....will.....feeling...i was...." come on how fare reaching is he?....i mean ok "up against the wall" no all the straight from the book at a commen title, but it happens... i mean "the boy is mine" was not just sung by brandy and monica other artist have a song with that name.....let's do a famous song "That's all" by Genesis,Michael Buble , Jimmy Wayne, and countless others....the song's have the same title but the song's are completely different... and yea commen words" i could...you...whose...much" just plan a dumb accuation. i hope he loses cause that means more money out of his broke pockets already.

Posted at 7:09PM on May 9th 2007 by sPOSA

43. Just another loser trying to get rich quick by sueing celebs. They think that Nsync will settle and not let it go to court, thats what this loser is hoping so he can get some money, he needs to get a job, it sure took him a long time to try and sue this is 2007 not 1990 when he supposed to gave them a demo LOL Get a life loser! Don't be a Hater just because Justin is HOT and has talent which you obviously don't or somone would have heard of you.

Posted at 6:40PM on May 9th 2007 by curtis

44. Curtis, looks like you have heard of him now and everyone else, he must be doing something right. Get off Justins D*** and dont be mad at the next man cuz u havent heard of him and ur pop idol stole his song, you know who he is now and im sure he could care less about you lol. Hes fighting for whats his and I hope he gets it and perhaps you need to get a job. Maybe you and lance should go on a date, you sound so gay,

Posted at 7:12PM on May 9th 2007 by Karen

45. The most entertaining aspect of these comments is that the people defending the rapper are completely illiterate. Case closed.

Posted at 10:48PM on May 9th 2007 by G

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