Dutch Jackson Sues ESPN, Amazon for Use of ‘Greatest’

St. Louis rapper Michael "Dutch" Jackson filed a lawsuit against ESPN last Thursday (Feb. 3), for the unlawful use of his song 'I Am the Greatest.'

In a 31-page suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, Jackson accused the sports network, AND 1, Amazon.com, and other companies, of using his music "to market, promote and sell their basketball shoes, sports apparel, digital video discs, television programs, websites, and other products for their own commercial advantage and profit, and to increase their name recognition and brand value." Lawyers for Jackson noted that in using the track, the companies violated the Federal Copyright Act, Federal Lanham Act, plus other state laws.

Jackson claims to have written and recorded the track, but had not yet released it, before it was used by the companies named in the suit. "Defendants and those acting by, through and under them have used the plaintiffs' work to market and sell literally millions of dollars of products, without compensation to the plaintiff," read the complaint.

The rapper, who released his 'Hero' mixtape last month, is seeking to recoup monetary and punitive damages to recoup all sales and profits earned by the defendants in connection with his song.