Federal complaint targets the creation and long-term use of “The Time Is Now”
Summary
– New lawsuit claims Cena’s entrance theme features unlicensed horn parts from a 1974 arrangement
– Kim Schofield seeks to void a 2017 settlement and pursue damages above $150,000
– WWE, TKO, Cena, producer Jake One, and music publishers named as defendants
A new legal battle has emerged for WWE, TKO, and John Cena as they face a lawsuit alleging unauthorized sampling in Cena’s entrance theme “The Time Is Now.” The complaint, filed in the Southern District of New York, centers on horn parts from a 1974 instrumental arrangement by Pete Schofield.
Kim Schofield, Pete’s daughter, claims the horns used in Cena’s track were taken directly from her father’s version of “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia.” She argues that the horn lines—explicitly created for that arrangement—were never licensed and form the foundation of the theme’s signature sound.
The filing states that the family only learned of the alleged sampling in 2015. A settlement with WWE was reached in 2017. Still, Schofield now seeks to invalidate it, claiming that WWE withheld details about long-term usage, including a national advertising campaign that aired days after the agreement.
Schofield further accuses WWE of undervaluing the music and denying her request for proper credit. She is pursuing damages exceeding $150,000 while challenging the release of a later re-recorded version of the theme that she believes replicates the same horn structure.
Additional defendants include Pix-Russ Music and the estate of Bobby Russell. Both are accused of disputing her copyright claims despite accepting royalties related to the horn parts. Schofield registered new copyrights for the arrangement and recording in 2024 and 2025, which are listed in official federal records.
Defendants have not yet responded to the lawsuit and are expected to do so within the standard federal response timeline.
