Beyoncé Won Her 'Lemonade' Lawsuit

A judge ruled Bey did not steal anything from filmmaker Matthew Fulks.

By Emma Dibdin

Sep 2, 2016

<p>"We need to stop buying into the myth about gender equality. It isn't a reality yet. Today, women make up half of the U.S. workforce, but the average working woman earns only 77 percent of what the average working man makes. Equality will be achieved when men and women are granted equal pay and equal respect. Humanity requires both men and women, and we are equally important and need one another. So why are we viewed as less than equal?"—<span class="redactor-invisible-space">Beyoncé <span class="redactor-invisible-space">in an <a href="http://shriverreport.org/gender-equality-is-a-myth-beyonce/" target="_blank">open essay</a> she penned for <em>The Shriver Report.</em><span class="redactor-invisible-space"></span></span></span></p>

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Beyoncé's winning streak at the VMAs has lasted through the week, as a New York federal judge tossed out the copyright lawsuit against her.

Indie filmmaker Matthew Fulks sued Bey in June, claiming that the video for "Lemonade" and its trailer copied elements from his 2014 short film Palinoia.

Her attorneys hit back by pointing out that depicting "graffiti", "parking garage" and "side-lit ominous figures"—all elements Fulks tried to claim as his own—does not constitute copyright infringement.

The Hollywood Reporter notes that the judge hasn't yet detailed the reasons for dismissing the case, which means his response pretty much amounts to: "Boy, bye."

Stay slaying, Bey.

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Emma Dibdin Contributor Emma Dibdin writes about television, movies, and podcasts, with coverage including opinion essays, news posts, episodic reviews and in-depth interviews with creatives.

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