Childish Gambino Lawsuit Dropped Over “This Is America” Copyright

Childish Gambino is finally in the clear.

On Friday (March 24), a lawsuit involving Gambino, Donald Glover’s artist name, was dismissed. The suit was first brought forth in 2021 by musician Kidd Wes, who claimed that Gambino’s 2018 single “This Is America” infringed on the copyright of Wes’ 2016 song “Made In America.”

According to Billboard, U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero declared the two songs “not substantially similar,” and stated that their choruses were “entirely different.” Following the decision, Complex acquired a statement from Glover’s attorney Jonathan D. Davis, who celebrated the outcome.

“We are very grateful for the Court’s decision,” he said. “No case existed here, as there was no infringement – let alone a copyright registration. That was obvious from a simple comparison of the two songs and a review of the U.S. Copyright Office records.”

When the suit was first filed, Wes argued that Gambino and other writers of the song ripped off “Made In America,” which is more than two years older than “This Is America.” However, Judge Marrero ultimately disagreed with this assertion and put an end to the suit.

Recently, Glover had pondered retiring from his music career and the Gambino identity. But at the start of 2023, he backtracked on that, promising fans that he is still making music during an interview with Laverne Cox at the Golden Globes ceremony.

“I’m making music right now,” he said. “I love it. I’m in the studio, I’ve been bringing people in, like secret people, like working on little things. But I’m just making it for fun right now. But soon, something will happen I promise. Something will happen.”

When Cox asked about the potential death of Gambino, Glover reassured her that he is alive and well. “No, no, no, that was out in the ethos,” he said. “You don’t have to worry about that. He’ll be back.”

Now that there is no more drama attached to his name, it will be nice to see Glover bring back Childish Gambino whenever he ultimately decides to.

Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images