By Ismael AbduSalaam
DJ Casper (aka Mr. C), songwriter of the crossover 2003 hit “Cha Cha Slide,” has filed lawsuit against several parties over copyright and publishing rights to the popular track.
In the lawsuit, filed December 31, DJ Casper claims to have entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with M.O.B. Records in 2000.
Casper also names songwriter Jerome Haywood as the man who assisted him in filling out the copyright forms for the song.
However, DJ Casper alleges both parties have cheated him out of royalties by taking the copyright and licensing for themselves and designating his composition as a “work for hire” project.
According to the lawsuit, Casper’s “said royalties were never paid and [the] Plaintiff (DJ Casper) never received any accounting statements despite demands, and even as the song became very popular and, on information and belief, Defendant M.O.B. sold over 500,000 copies.”
Additionally, Casper claims that the accused parties filed their own separate copyrights in hopes of taking complete ownership of the hit record, despite Casper allegedly securing the copyright several years before.
Released nationally in 2003, the “Cha Cha Slide” has remained a popular song at weddings, skating rinks, school events, MLB games, and parties.
After hitting #1 on Billboard’s U.S. and UK charts, Casper reissued his debut album in 2003.
In 2007, the song was prominently used by McDonalds for a national Happy Meal commercial.