An independent filmmaker has filed a federal lawsuit against singer Beyonce alleging that ideas from his 2014 short film were used to create the trailer that accompanied her new visual album Lemonade.

Matthew Fulks alleges that his 2014 short film, Palinoia, had been seen by members of the team working on the Lemonade video and that Beyonce's video was created months later and was "visually similar".

Mr Fulks, who lives in Louisville, Kentucky, alleges that Beyonce, her management company, Parkwood Entertainment, Sony Music Entertainment and Columbia Recording Corporation, infringed on his copyright.

The lawsuit, filed in US District Court in Manhattan, points to nine instances - about 39 seconds of the 65-second trailer - that Mr Fulks says are visually similar. It seeks unspecified monetary damages.

The Lemonade trailer is "substantially similar" to Mr Fulks' film, including a similar mood, setting, pace and fonts, he says in the lawsuit.

The video, posted on YouTube on April 17, had received nearly 11 million views by Wednesday afternoon.

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