Tulisa Contostavlos wins six-year court battle against will.i.am over co-writing claim

Former X Factor judge Tulisa Contostavlos has emerged victorious in a drawn-out legal battle over the writing credits for Britney and will.i.am single Scream and Shout.

The N-Dubz singer took the song – well, specifically Will – to court over claims she co-wrote and featured on it.

The issue arose when, back in 2012, the song was released and accredited to Britney Spears and will.i.am. Tulisa, 29, immediately filed a claim against him whereby the income for the Number 1 hit were frozen and settled in court.

She intended to use the song on her album (titled The Female Boss) under the name of I Don’t Give A F**k. However, when Will’s producer (her co-writer) didn’t like it he scrapped the plans and it was given to Willto be repackaged for his and Britney’s collab, and under the new writing credits of will.i.am, Jef Martens, and Jean Baptiste.

‘Tulisa was annoyed when the song was taken from her and given to Britney – especially as she co-wrote it,’ a source revealed to Metro. ‘It was set to be one of the big songs on her debut album.

‘She didn’t let it lie, and took it all the way to the courts and has now won.

‘She just wanted to be recognised as the writer of one of the biggest pop tracks of the last decade.’

Despite knowing full well that Tulisa had co-written the track and that he was being sued as a result, Will admitted that she wrote it: ‘Tulisa wrote to that song before I did – this is the truth. But the producers of the beat … didn’t want her to have it.’

And interestingly during the lengthy dispute the court found that Tulisa’s vocals are actually still present in the track, thanks to a musicology report.

As a result, the London-born singer is entitled to 10% of the income for the single and a share of the worldwide rights.

And with the single shifting over half-a-million copies in the first two months of release in the UK alone, it appears Tulisa is due a pretty big cheque in the post.

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