Dancehall heavyweight Masicka has been dragged into a full-blown American court battle after a woman who claims she wrote several of his popular songs filed a federal copyright-infringement lawsuit against him.
Melissa Mais—also referred to online as Melissa Maze—filed the action against Masicka, whose given name is Javaun Nicholas Fearon, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia on August 25, 2026.
The case, Mais v. Fearon, has been assigned number 1:26-cv-02818 and listed as a copyright action. Court records show the matter has been assigned to District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema and referred to Magistrate Judge Ivan D. Davis. Federal docket listing
The lawsuit marks a dramatic escalation of a row that burst into public view earlier this year when four Masicka songs—Whites, Rich Sex, Mute and Scope—were removed from his official YouTube channel following copyright complaints.
The woman behind the claims
Mais claims she wrote most of the disputed material in May 2023 while she was in custody and alleges that her work was subsequently exploited without her consent or proper compensation.
She reportedly submitted a Digital Millennium Copyright Act takedown notice to YouTube on February 7, triggering the removal of the four recordings.
A successful takedown, however, is not a court judgment that copyright infringement occurred. Online platforms may temporarily remove disputed material after receiving a facially valid complaint while the parties battle over ownership.
Now Mais is attempting to move the fight from YouTube’s copyright machinery into a federal courtroom.
“I had my human rights violated, I was injured on May 4 2023 . My father has been immobile for the past 11 years due to major stoke he suffered back in 2014. My siblings and I , including my mom have been taking care of my dad, more so my brothers,” she said.
She is the youngest of five children and the only girl in her family. The fallout from all the brouhaha online, especially from Masicka’s fans, has caused her family much consternation
“My brothers are embarrassed about what’s online about me. My older brother Sean has Down Syndrome , he just turned 47, it’s all very difficult,” she sad.
Mais has never had a conversation with Masicka and is yet to prove how Masicka allegedly gained access to her songs.
“That’s the million dollar question,” she told Dancehall Mag. “I’ve requested from a judge in my complaint that a state official subpoenaed for the case. I have written communication stating that someone else had the recording of my song.”
Masicka fires back
Masicka has flatly rejected the claims and insists every song released under his name was written by him and distributed legally.
“All songs released by Javaun Fearon were written by Javaun Fearon, and released through the proper channels, and we stand firmly behind the legitimacy and ownership of these recordings,” his team said after the tracks disappeared.
The artist suggested that inaccurate complaints submitted through automated copyright systems can temporarily disrupt legitimate releases. His legal and distribution representatives were said to be working to restore the affected material.
BTS also targeted
In a striking twist, Mais filed a separate copyright lawsuit against Korean pop supergroup BTS and entertainment company HYBE on the same day.
That action, Mais v. BTS et al, was also filed in Virginia’s Eastern District under case number 1:26-cv-02759. BTS case docket.
The existence of both lawsuits does not establish that the defendants infringed Mais’s work. Her allegations must still survive judicial scrutiny, and Masicka will have an opportunity to challenge her ownership claims, evidence and legal standing.
The vexing question now hanging over dancehall is brutally simple: who really put pen to paper on four of Masicka’s best-known tracks?
Until a judge answers it—or the parties reach a settlement—the lyrical ownership war is only beginning.
