Pharrell Asks Court to Toss Chad Hugo's 'Vague' Copyright Suit

Pharrell Williams has asked a federal court to dismiss the copyright lawsuit filed by his Neptunes partner Chad Hugo, calling the latest complaint "so vague and ambiguous" that his legal team cannot prepare a response.

The motion, obtained by Rolling Stone, argues that after three years and three versions of the complaint, Hugo has still not clearly identified a copyright claim that belongs in federal court. Williams's lawyers note that Hugo named no specific songs in his original complaint, identifying only the album No One Ever Really Dies.

What does the new filing say?

An amended complaint later listed eight songs that were not on that album. Hugo then dropped all eight from a second amended complaint filed last month. The latest version identifies only EarthGang's "U Gotta" — but does not specify whether Hugo claims rights in the musical composition, the sound recording, or both.

"The [second amended complaint] is so vague and ambiguous with respect to the copyrights placed at issue that defendants cannot reasonably prepare a response," the motion argues. "As incomprehensible as it is, it appears that Hugo has no idea which compositions or sound recordings he supposedly authored — even though he claims to have been there, right by defendants' side, the whole time."

The eight songs Hugo previously identified and later dropped were:

• Rosalía's "Motomami" and "La Combi Versace"
• "Cash In Cash Out"
• "Love Is Not Written"
• "Pure"
• "Real One," featuring Latto
• "Lost and Found" and "Freestyle," both featuring Tyler, the Creator

What is at stake for the Neptunes founders?

Hugo sued Williams over ownership of the catalogs of the Neptunes and N.E.R.D., the two ventures the men co-founded. In the suit, Hugo says the duo became the "most influential musical forces of their generation, whose innovative, genre-blending sound helped shape modern hip-hop, R&B, and pop music." He says he contributed to the groups' output as a writer, producer, arranger, and performer.

"Although Defendant Williams often received greater public visibility, plaintiff's contributions as a founding creative partner, co-writer, producer, and co-founder of both The Neptunes and N.E.R.D. were indispensable to the commercial value, goodwill, and brand recognition associated with these ventures," the second amended complaint states.

Why does Williams want the whole case dismissed?

Williams argues that without a viable federal copyright claim, Hugo's state-law claims for breach of fiduciary duty and an incomplete accounting should also be dismissed. That would leave Hugo to pursue those claims separately in state court if he chooses.

The latest complaint still names the album No One Ever Really Dies, alleging that Hugo is owed damages exceeding $1 million from that project alone. The suit notes the album debuted at Number 10 on the Billboard charts and has generated millions of streams.

Hugo's lawyer did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone's request for comment on Wednesday. The court has not yet ruled on the dismissal motion or set a possible hearing. If the judge grants the motion, the long-running dispute between the two founders of one of pop's defining production teams could move out of federal court entirely.