Mary J Blige Sued for $2 Million

A $2 million federal lawsuit against Mary J. Blige claims a song on her current album, "Growing Pains," used a track without permission.

The lawsuit filed Tuesday in Manhattan Federal Court says producer Theron (NEEF-U) Feemster wrote the music for Blige's song "Work That," but the track is owned by Dream Family Entertainment Inc.

The court filing claims the New York-based firm never gave Blige, Feemster or Geffen Records, the distributor, rights to use the song, which was also used in a nationwide commercial for Apple's iPod.

"Mr. Feemster created the music while he was under contract with Dream Family. Dream Family then owned the music, yet the music was used without permission in a Mary J. Blige release recording," said Dream lawyer Brian Caplan, according to the New York Daily News. "It was released as an album, a single and in a commercial."

Rights to the lyrics of the song are not in question. Caplan said it was unclear if Blige knew the music belonged to someone other than Feemster, and said the producer "had no rights to the music he used."