Grammy-winning songwriter and producer Warren “Oak” Felder, along with his music manager Lucas Keller, have filed a lawsuit accusing Silicon Valley power couple Walter and Samia De Brouwer of swindling them out of millions by stealing an AI music software idea. The suit, filed in Los Angeles, alleges the De Brouwers perpetrated an elaborate scheme to defraud the artists out of at least $5 million.
Felder, known for his work with artists like Mariah Carey and Britney Spears, and Keller, who manages numerous top singers and songwriters and whose clients include Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce, claim they discussed developing AI-powered music creation software with the De Brouwers around 2016. According to the lawsuit, the plan included a "copyright checker" feature to flag existing copyrighted chords. The De Brouwers reportedly expressed strong interest in the concept.
The tech couple allegedly agreed to pay Keller and Felder in stock options from their company, Snowcrash, if the artists developed the software, including the copyright checker. The lawsuit states that Snowcrash awarded Keller and Felder 345,000 shares each, with vesting scheduled between November 2023 and November 2028, which they accepted.
Shortly after, the De Brouwers allegedly coerced Felder and Keller into assigning the software patent to Snowcrash. The suit further claims that the De Brouwers then formed a new entity, Sound Patrol, and used it to acquire nearly all of Snowcrash's assets, including the patent. This maneuver, the plaintiffs assert, devalued their stock options and allowed Sound Patrol to secure a lucrative licensing deal with Universal Music Group and Sony Music.
Sound Patrol, also named as a defendant in the lawsuit, has not paid Keller or Felder for their contributions to the software or patent, according to the filing. The duo are seeking damages exceeding $5 million and the rights to the software patent.
Walter and Samia De Brouwer are founders of the AI company Doc.ai, which was acquired by Sharecare. Walter De Brouwer is listed as a co-founder of Sound Patrol with Michael Ovitz. The Sound Patrol website states that with Ovitz as co-founder, the company gained direct access to the global entertainment industry. Both the De Brouwers and Sound Patrol have been contacted for comment.