The suit filed in federal court in Nashville alleges that when the show's representatives were asked why they didn’t obtain licenses to the songs, they replied they didn't ''roll that way,” according to the Associated Press and Reuters.
“As sophisticated consumers of music, defendants knew full well that, regardless of the way they rolled, under the Copyright Act, and under state law for the pre-1972 recordings, they needed a license to use the sound recordings lawfully,'' the suit says.
DeGeneres is the newest judge on TV’s American Idol. She was not named as a defendant in the suit.