Kanye West – May Have Committed a Felony by Secretly Recording Taylor Swift

by Paul Resnikoff

Swift is threatening legal action against Kanye West.

Kanye West could face serious legal ramifications for recording a conversation with Taylor Swift and subsequently publishing it.  The recording, initially leaked onto Snapchat by Kim Kardashian on Sunday, eventually made its way to Twitter and then, the entire internet (full report on that, here).

Kardashian leaked the recording in an attempt to discredit Swift, specifically over lyrics contained in the Kanye West track, ‘Famous’.  Swift alleged that West didn’t properly advise or clear lyrics that referred to the singer as a ‘bitch,’ while bragging that he ‘still might have sex’ with her.

Now, Swift’s legal team is apparently swooping down the West & Co., based on the illegality of secretly recording (and releasing) a phone conversation.  TMZ is reporting that a cease-and-desist was issued, though it’s unclear exactly when.  The excerpt seems to reference a large amount of recordings, with one recently leaked.

The excerpt published is as follows:

The legal threats haven’t led to actual legal action, as far as we can tell.  But the next steps are tricky, for both sides, with the costs of legal warfare just one consideration.  Swift clearly has cause for action, though West might welcome a legal attack given the publicity that it would generate.  Swift, for similar reasons, may also favor the legal charge.  That sounds great for the lawyers involved, with protracted legal warfare generating tons of billable hours.

Sounds like a win-win all-around, with the celebrity circus generating more profits for everyone.  That said, both of these artists are seem to be in debt.  In the recently-leaked call with West, Swift admitted to being ‘in debt,’ while Kanye West recently admitted to being more than $50 million in the hole.

In the recently leaked conversation, Swift is heard saying the following:

“Really, I might be in debt, but I can make these things happen. I have the ideas to do it and I create these things and concepts. I’m always going to respect you. I’m really glad that you have the respect to call me and tell me that as a friend about the song. It’s a really cool thing to do and a really good show of friendship so thank you.”