Dr. Dre Wins Ruling On Up In Smoke Tour DVD Footage

In a decision released on Saturday, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that Detroit City Councilman Gary Brown and other officials had no right to privacy when footage of a confrontation that occurred during Dr. Dre's Up in Smoke Tour made it onto a DVD. The ruling dismisses a lawsuit that was initially filed against Dr. Dre and tour organizers in 2002.

The incident in question occurred on July 6, 2000, when before a performance at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, officials told tour organizers they felt an introduction video was sexually obscene and demanded it not be played or else the power would be turned off. The tour complied with the request, but the discussion was videotaped, and the behind-the-scenes footage appeared on an Up in Smoke Tour DVD.

Brown, who at the time was a high-ranking police official, felt his privacy was violated since he asked that the video cameras be turned off.

"I would think I would have my rights protected, but that's not the way the court ruled," Brown told The Associated Press.

In 2000, Dr. Dre sued the cities of Detroit and Auburn Hills, Michigan, for $25 million for violating his right to free speech when Brown and others prevented the explicit intro video from being shown on the tour. The case was settled out of court, Dre received formal apologies from both cities, and police officials had to take First Amendment sensitivity training.

Performers on the Up in Smoke Tour, which was partially in support of Dr. Dre's 1999 album The Chronic 2001, also included Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Eminem and the late Nate Dogg. There is still no release date for Dr. Dre's highly anticipated third solo album Detox.