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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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61. I know both versions suck. I hate the rappers version more than nsync's version but that's me. This guy wants attention and maybe he hates the band that he has to come up with a way to sue Nsync which I find really sad. Why wait years after Celebrity was released? He really has no case but nowadays singers sing songs that have the same title but the lyrics are different. Nothing is original nowadays unless the singers write their own songs.

Posted at 10:03PM on May 11th 2007 by amy

62. maybe the "Fresh Price" should sue this guy, his lyrics are closer to the theme song from "Fresh Price of Belaire" then they are to this Nsync song, Chillin out, maxin, relaxin isn't this the lead in to the theme song for "Fresh Price of Belaire" except instead of shootin some b-ball this guy blew someones head off...

What a waste of the courts time.

Posted at 2:47PM on May 16th 2007 by mb

63. I read both of the full lyrics, and they have completely different meanins.. I don't understand how this guy could be suing N*sync at all? It doesn't even matter that it's an unknown artist going up against a popular group.. the songs have two totally different meanings behind them, and tell two completely different stories, lyrically.

Posted at 2:16PM on May 11th 2007 by Linds

64. I have substantial evidence that Lance Bass, formerly of NSYNC, has taken it upon himself to rip off my taste in peanut butter. That's right. He uses the same exact peanut butter as me....and I want my friggen compensation. This isn't freakin fair. I KNOW i used it first......

*yanks on uncle sam's stars & stripes blazer* uncle sam? lance bass is way more successful and makes more money than me. tell him to stop.

Posted at 1:01PM on May 12th 2007 by Brandon

65. WHO CARES JENNA........MINGYA.

Posted at 3:09PM on May 11th 2007 by TakumiAE86Drifter

66. the troy dude is an idiot.I'm serious.

Posted at 3:15PM on May 11th 2007 by jockajick

67. All of you that think the other guy should get the case only believe that because you are jealous that you can't sue a famous person for a lot of money. Seriously, get a brain and get over yourselves.

And all of you that say "who cares" why the hell would you waste your time reading/ writing a reply if you didn't care.

Grow up and get over yourselves. The lyrics might be implying the same thing, but think about music... I could probably come up with 50 songs that imply the same thing.

And why would he wait 6 years, that's rediculous. The court system may have taken that long to get to it, but this would have been blown up way before like other cases... so it must be some other reason that makes perfectly no sense.

Posted at 3:16PM on May 11th 2007 by Brittany

68. to' satin doll.. come on now girl..in order 2 be a so called ..rapper u need some hits .. or atleast 1 album a one hit wonder even... this .royal .t. has nothing!! ever .. never had 1 song of his own ..put down on a cd..or played on radio..if so..someone would of heard of him b 4 now... his version of .;up against the wall' sounds like 'fresh prince theme .. just like one person said in here and i agree...I think hes tryin 2 cash in on a few stupid verbs that are used everyday... im chillin in my apt.. right now..i feel real good.. my girls comin ova ..we ..gonna go dance and move ..LOL.. HE GONNA SUE ME NEXT!!!!!!!!!!!.. ROYAL .T. U HAVE NO CROWN .. MY ADVICE 2 U.. PLZ ..STEP THE HELL DOWN ..THE ONLY ONE U MAKE LOOK REAL STUPID AND IGNORANT ..I'M AFRAID SIR.. IS YOURSELF!!!.... AND IF THEY PAY U FOR THIS ABSURD ..LAWSUIT.. THEY BE OUT OF THEIR DAMN MINDS!!!!.... I DONT LIKE 'NSYNC;... BUT THEY DID SELL.. AND STILL DO.. MAKE BIG MONEY.. IF U SUCH A RAPPER.. WHY HAVE U NEVER HAD 1 HIT.. EVER.
MAN.. U PISSED BECAUSE U OLD AND U NEVER GOT YOUR FAME U THOUGHT U DESERVED... BY LOOKIN AT THOSE LYRICS... MY 3 YEAR OLD HAS MORE IMAGINATION..AND NO ONE DESERVES TO BE PAID FOR WRITING ..PURE FOOLISHNESS ..

Posted at 3:28PM on May 11th 2007 by U STRAIGHT OUT THE LOONEY BIN...AMERICAS LAUGHIN AT U ..NOT WITH U ..SIR!!!

69. I don't see a similarity either. Maybe it's not just about the lyrics. The melody could be exactly the same. I'd have to hear the songs one after the other.

Posted at 3:38PM on May 11th 2007 by NiqueRocka

70. TO; BRITTANY... IF THE LAWSUIT WAS FILED B4 THE OTHER DAY..YEA THE COURTS MAY HAVE GOTTEN IT..LOL AND REGARDING YOUR STATEMENT ABOUT' WHO CARES'.. WELL I CARE CAUSE IT BE COMING OUT OF MY POCKET.. !! NOT ONLY THAT BUT I ASSURE U ..IF I HAD A LEGITIMATE CASE ... I WOULD SUE .. NO MATTER WHO IT WAS.. ALOT OF PEOPLE HAVE MONEY .. NOT JUST SUPADUPASTARS!!!... MR.R.T. I THOUGHT WAS S UING OVER LYRICS AND NOT MUSIC.. AND U SAYIN YOURSELF THE LYRICS MIGHT IMPLY THE SAME THING LOL!!! LIKE HELL THEY DO..CAN'T HEAR HOW THEY SOUND AS OF YET ..PERHAPS ..MR.TROY ALEXANDER SHOULD GROW UP.. AND GET OVER HIS OWN SELF .. LORD NOWS WE HAVE!!.. NEVER HEARD OF HIM IN THE FIRST PLACE!!! LOL..

Posted at 3:43PM on May 11th 2007 by DOES SHE EVEN KNOW WHAT SHE SAYING...BRITTANY..

71. All Mr. "Royal T" did was take his song and NSYNC, listen to it for a while, underlined a couple of words and try to get a law-suit which definitly shouldn't file. Anyone could do that. The rhythm of the lyrics doesn't even sound the same. If that's the case, it's about a billion songs that people sing and don't even know if someone else's lyrics sound the same until they hear it themselves, but do you see them trying to get some money off of it?? No, they just brush it off their shoulders and keep moving or do better.

Posted at 4:58PM on May 11th 2007 by Kelly Milan

72. Oh Please they are not even remotely close, yeah he might have thought they were similar after he smoked some crack!!!!!

Posted at 6:07PM on May 11th 2007 by Sherry

73. I do not think that they are exactually the same, but he dose have a suit against them. I'm finishing up my last year of law school and as i can see there are enough simalarties to go through with the suit. According to the law he has seven (7) years from when the song is released to file suit and for this he did making it a legal procedure. All there has to be for this to be a lawsuite is about 3 to six words similar to the orginal and this has more than six words. Though some of you are rooting for *NSYNC is it more of there managers fault then them themselves but according to contracts they can se sued as well just for having there name on the material. I do not think he can get all of the money but he will win this and take a huge portion out of Jive and its partners.

Posted at 6:42PM on May 11th 2007 by Thecoolertwin

74. this gold diggin herb is out 2 get rich....why dont ya dig in ur own back yard!!!!!!

Posted at 7:21PM on May 11th 2007 by Mimi

75. N*SYNC is the best!! I loved them wen i was 7 and 8. Leave them alone!! They were a great band!

Posted at 5:26PM on May 12th 2007 by Luckii

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