Universal Music Escapes Lawsuit Over Nelly’s ‘Country Grammar’

Nelly’s childhood friend failed to properly serve Universal Music Group and other corporations when he sued him, requiring their dismissal from his copyright infringement suit, a district court ruled Friday.

Ali Jones failed to serve the corporate defendants in the lawsuit within the required 90-day deadline, Judge Victor Marrero said in a decision and order in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York. The corporate defendants—which included subsidiaries of UMG, BMG Songs Inc., Kobalt Music Group, and Hipgnosis Songs Group LLC—were dismissed without prejudice.

• Jones said he and Cornell “Nelly” Haynes Jr. formed the rap group ...