Cameroonian musician sues Jackson, Rihanna over song swipe

Washington, Feb 04: A Cameroonian musician is taking Michael Jackson and Rihanna to a Paris court, alleging that they swiped a hook from one of his works.The lawsuit by 75-year-old Manu Dibango claims that the Moonwalker had previously acknowledged using a section of Dibango`s 1972 track "Soul Makossa" as the riff on "Wanna Be Startin` Something," one of the hit singles from Jackson``s 1983 landmark ‘Thriller’ album.

At the time, both sides went for an out of court settlement over the unauthorized sample. However, now it has emerged that Rihanna licensed the same hook from Jackson for her 2007 smash ‘Don`t Stop the Music’, and both she and Jacko did not care to get permission from Dibango. And thus, Dibango has filed the suit against both the artists on Feb 3, and according to reports, a Parisian court will rule on Feb. 17 whether the case will move forward. If Dibango emerges victorious, he is expected to net over 600,000 dollars, reports E! Online. However, his attorneys are asking the court to block Sony BMG, EMI and Warner from profiting off the contested songs, until the case is being adjudicated. Meanwhile, neither Jackson nor Rihanna made immediate comment concerning the issue. ANI