Dame Dash has fired back after JAY-Z filed a legal motion regarding the copyright ownership of Reasonable Doubt ahead of the auction of Dame’s shares in Roc-A-Fella.
In the recent legal action, JAY-Z and his attorneys asserted that the ownership rights to Reasonable Doubt would automatically revert to him in 2031, no matter who controls the record label at that time.
On Tuesday (August 13), Dame Dash took to Instagram to address the situation, saying, “They can say what they want, this shit is still for sale. You’re not buying a copyright, you’re buying a piece of a company—ROC A FELLA INC.”
Dame also made it clear that he’s open to serious buyers interested in his one-third stake in Roc-A-Fella. “Please, only serious inquiries!” he added. The sale of Dame’s 33.3 percent interest in the iconic record label is set to take place at a public auction in New York City on August 29, with proceeds going towards paying off the $823,000 he owes to film producer Josh Weber for copyright infringement and defamation related to the 2016 movie Dear Frank.
Earlier this year, a judge ordered Dame to sell his shares to cover the debt, a decision that JAY-Z and fellow Roc-A-Fella co-founder Kareem “Biggs” Burke initially opposed.
They argued that company bylaws require board approval for any sale of shares. However, U.S. Magistrate Robert W. Lehrburger ruled that Dame’s one-third stake in Roc-A-Fella could be seized to satisfy the judgment since it is considered his personal property.
In his ruling, Lehrburger criticized Jay and Biggs for introducing a “no sell-off” clause during a 2021 board meeting that Dame did not attend. He instructed Roc-A-Fella to hand over Dame’s stock certificate to the U.S. Marshals Service for auction within 180 days.
Despite their objections, Jay and Biggs’ concerns appear to be more about the potential for an outsider to gain control over Roc-A-Fella’s intellectual property than support for Dame.
The starting bid for Dame’s shares has been set at a minimum of $1.2 million, more than enough to cover his debt. It remains unclear whether JAY-Z and Biggs plan to participate in the auction.
