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A case that was initially presumed to be closed two years ago had been opened up again on West Coast producer Dr. Dre.  A lawsuit was filed where he faces charges of infringement on the privacy rights of Detroit employees by having some of their conversations recorded. 

The actual case was brought back to the court after Michigan appeals judges Elizabeth Gleicher and Michael Kelly ruled that the Doctor had to answer for the pending charges that were put up against him.

Occurring during the Up In Smoke Tour back in July 2000, three employees were videotaped in secrecy as they made attempts to prevent concert promoters from showcasing video props that contained nudity to the audience.  The footage captured was later leaked onto a DVD that followed the tour.

The workers felt as though the taping was a violation of their right to privacy as they tried to take it to court, but it was dismissed in 2007 by Wayne County Judge John A. Murphy.  According to Murphy, the workers had no real claim to make as it related to their privacy as the footage of them speaking occurred while they were gathered in a room with an open door.

The appeal judges, however, see things differently as they feel that private conversations can still be conducted within a public setting.

“We reject the notion that as a matter of law, parties may not conduct a private conversation…in a public place, or a location when nonparticipants in the conversation are physically present.

Along with taping the discussion, the two felt as though having the material distributed to the mainstream was yet another instance of depriving their rights.

Man, Up In Smoke Tour? If only the clock could go back to those days of Hip-Hop.  Well, at least there’s an actual reason now to have the “album” pushed back now.