Tyler Perry sued over 'Devil' song

By Eriq Gardner

Tyler Perry has found himself in a bit of copyright trouble lately for allegedly incorporating portions of copyrighted gospel music in his many successful shows.

In the latest case, North Carolina songwriter Johnny Tyrone Stringfield filed a $100,000 lawsuit last week in California District Court accusing Perry, TBS, and Time Warner of incorporating an entire verse of lyrics from his song "I Got Away" in Perry's hit show "Meet the Browns." According to the complaint, characters in the show sang the copyrighted song with the refrain, "The Devil thought he had me but I got away."

This is the second time that hallelujahs tuned to the prospect of deliverance have caused Perry grief. In late November, he was sued for allegedly incorporating a chorus from a gospel song in the movie "Madea Goes to Jail." 

Perry's reps didn't respond to a request for comment.