Rap stars Cypress Hill have emerged victorious in a long running legal battle with soul legend Syl Johnson after his copyright case against them was dismissed.

The veteran musician filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against the Insane in the Brain hitmakers back in 2003, alleging their song 'Lock Down', from their 1993 album Black Sunday, sampled his 1969 track 'Is It Because I'm Black?'В В 

Cypress Hill won the legal battle in 2008 after a judge ruled Johnson's claim was ineligible because his song was recorded several years before America's Federal Copyright Act was passed in 1972. He also failed to apply for copyright registration until he re-recorded the track in 1997.

Johnson subsequently appealed and dragged the case back to court, but it was officially dismissed on Wednesday as a judge upheld the initial ruling, according to Allhiphop.com.

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