Overview
- The Missouri federal court threw out Ali Jones’s copyright and unjust enrichment claims over Nelly’s 2000 album Country Grammar.
- The court found a June 2021 letter from Nelly’s team started the three‑year limitations clock, rendering the 2024 filing too late.
- Unjust enrichment was rejected as a repackaged copyright claim preempted by federal law.
- Plaintiffs’ counsel was sanctioned for unreasonable, vexatious litigation tactics, including omitting key dates, with a $1,000 fine and reimbursement of Nelly’s post‑amendment legal fees.
- Three originally named St. Lunatics members—Murphy Lee, Kyjuan, and City Spud—disavowed the case and later exited, leaving Jones to pursue the ultimately dismissed suit.