Drake’s Janice STFU Copyright Lawsuit Dismissed
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Post By
DJ Longers
- October 29, 2026
‘Without Prejudice’: Drake’s Janice STFU Copyright Lawsuit Dismissed Just 11 Days After Filing
LOS ANGELES — A high-profile copyright infringement lawsuit targeting Canadian rap superstar Drake over his global hit single Janice STFU has been voluntarily dismissed in a US federal court just 11 days after it was filed.
The legal action, brought by songwriter and producer Aviel Calev Hirschfield on 16th October, accused the 40-year-old artist, real name Aubrey Drake Graham of copying the song’s core hook from an unreleased demo recording.
However, court documents submitted in California late on Tuesday revealed that Hirschfield filed a notice of voluntary dismissal, ending the lawsuit "without prejudice". Under US civil procedure rules, the designation leaves the legal door open for the claim to be refiled in the future, though no active litigation currently remains on the court docket.
‘Not One Iota of Truth’
The sudden withdrawal follows a fierce public denial from Graham's legal representatives and long-time collaborators.
From the outset, the rapper's camp dismissed the lawsuit as a fabricated cash grab designed to exploit the streaming momentum of the ICEMAN era track.
"There is not one iota of truth to these accusations," a spokesperson for Graham stated following the initial filing. "The allegations are not merely disputed, we maintain that they are entirely fabricated, without credible factual support or legitimate legal foundation. Drake wrote this song and has no connection or knowledge of this person full stop."
Frequent production partner Boi-1da also publicly rejected the allegations on social media, describing copyright claims on hit records as a recurring industry nuisance for major producers.
Online Scrutiny and Technical Disputes
While Hirschfield’s legal representatives initially claimed that audio metadata and expert analysis validated his reference recording, the complaint faced intense technical scrutiny across online producer communities almost immediately after filing.
Independent music analysts and online sleuths picking apart the leaked demo stems argued that waveform patterns suggested the plaintiff’s audio had been reverse-engineered from Graham's completed release rather than pre-dating it.
Trade insiders suggest that the prospect of formal court-ordered forensic digital discovery into file creation dates may have prompted the swift voluntary withdrawal before formal pre-trial hearings commenced.
Neither side has publicly disclosed whether a private, out-of-court settlement agreement was reached prior to the filing of the dismissal notice.
Uninterrupted Streaming Momentum
The resolution clears a major legal cloud for Graham as Janice STFU continues to anchor global music streaming charts.
Legal representatives for Hirschfield declined to issue a follow-up statement regarding the voluntary withdrawal, leaving Janice STFU free to complete its commercial run without active judicial interference.
