Vincent Peters v. Kanye West: whose is Stronger

Vincent Peters (aka Vince P.) sued Kanye West, Roc-a-Fella Records and UMG Recordings on Friday for copyright infringement. Peters allegedly gave West (via his manager) a copy of Stronger, a song he recorded in 2006, seven months prior to West recording a song of the same title.

The complaint states that West’s Stronger “copies significant and important parts of Peters’ lyrics identically or almost identically” and contains a similar refrain as a major element of the song. The hooks compared:

Vince P Stronger (2006)
What don’t kill me make me stronger
The more I blow up the more you wronger
You coped my CD you can feel my hunger
The wait is over couldn’t wait no longer

Kanye West Stronger (2007)
N- n- now th- that don’t kill me can only make me stronger
I need you to hurry up now cause I can’t wait much longer
I know I got to be right now cause I can’t get much wronger
Man I’ve been waitin’ all night now that’s how long I’ve been on you

Incidentally, both songs have a similar theme –  “recount[ing] the difficulties of a young rapper breaking into the recording business.” According to the complaint, Peters is seeking impoundment and destruction of all copies
of the allegedly infringing work and damages.