Ghostface Killah Sued by ‘Iron Man’ Composer
Ghostface Killah and Sony Music Entertainment are being sued by Hollywood composer Jack Urbont for illegally sampling his "Iron Man Theme," which was written for an animated television series based on the Marvel Comics character in the Sixties. The theme was used on two tracks from the Wu-Tang Clan rapper's 2000 album Supreme Clientele. It is unclear why Urbont's lawsuit has been filed over a decade since that album hit stores.
Strangely, in addition to fairly standard copyright infringement claims, Urbont's suit takes issue with Ghostface Killah for using the nickname Tony Starks, which is a slight variation of the super hero Iron Man's civilian identity. Urbont, who has no present association with Marvel Comics, says that the rapper's use of "Iron Man Theme" has a significant commercial advantage since he uses the Iron Man name without paying royalties to Marvel.