Future is at the center of a copyright lawsuit after being accused of using a photograph of the Dungeon Family house in Atlanta without permission.
Photographer Garey C. Gomez filed the complaint, stating that Future and his affiliated companies used the image on the cover of his release, “Mixtape Pluto,” as well as on merchandise sold both online and in stores.
Gomez discovered the alleged infringement in October 2023 and reached out to Future’s team to negotiate a resolution.
According to the complaint, no agreement was reached. The suit lists Titol Retail, LLC and Wilburn Holding Company, Inc., both connected to Future’s Freebandz brand, as co-defendants. Gomez has stated that he never granted a license or received payment for the image. He is seeking monetary damages, profits generated from the artwork, and a court order to prevent further use.
“Mixtape Pluto” debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, marking Future’s third chart-topping album of 2024. The project was praised for revisiting the style of his early mixtapes and was regarded as a tribute to the late Atlanta Hip-Hop pioneer Rico Wade and the Dungeon Family legacy.
The Dungeon, located in East Point, Georgia, was the basement studio of Rico Wade’s mother’s home. It became the creative headquarters for Organized Noize, the production trio of Wade, Sleepy Brown, and Ray Murray. The space played a critical role in shaping Southern Hip-Hop in the 1990s and produced landmark tracks for OutKast, Goodie Mob, and TLC.
In 2019, Big Boi of OutKast purchased the house to preserve its cultural significance.
The lawsuit alleges that Future and his companies engaged in willful copyright infringement and violated federal law by distributing false copyright management information.
