Cheb Khaled is about to fork over 200 thousand euros to Algerian artist Cheb Rabeh after being convicted by the High Court of Paris for plagiarizing his work.
The King of Rai's song "Didi" got him into the hall of fame a couple decades ago, but apparently he can't take all the credit for the masterpiece because it was actually composed by Rabeh. Khaled has been accused of intellectual property violation for the music of his hit song released back in 1991.
In addition to making Khaled pay out big bucks for the copyright infringement, the court also ordered the SACEM (Society of Authors, Composers and Music Publishers of Canada) "to change all documentation" on "Didi", so that Rabah also rakes in the cash from mechanical rights and public performance "as the only composer" of the work going forward, reported AFP.
"Didi" is a song that has stood the test of time with popularity that spans across both MENA and Europe and continues past its initial release. Several international artists like have also released their own covers of the song.
International Success
"This is a success that was based on a lie," said Jean-Marie Guilloux, lawyer Cheb Rabah. Counsel for the singer, 55, Laurence Goldgrab, for its part, announced its intention to appeal the judgment.
Didi had a great success in the Arabic-speaking countries and continents, especially in Europe - which he joined at the top of the charts in France, Belgium, Spain - and Asia. The song was also used in a Bollywood movie and was played at the opening ceremony of the FIFA World Cup in South Africa in 2010.
