Just read this on Ditial Music News:Beatles Receive Court Go-Ahead In Royalty Lawsuit
August 31, 2006
The Beatles have now received a green light to pursue a massive royalty lawsuit against Capitol Records and parent label group EMI. The action was filed by Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, surviving heirs of John Lennon and George Harrison, as well as Beatles business entity Apple Corps. The plaintiffs allege that Capitol wrongly pocketed millions through fraudulent accounting practices. Specifically, the suit seeks minimum damages of $25 million, as well as unspecified punitive damages. New York State Supreme Court Justice Karla Moskowitz authorized the action, and denied a motion by EMI to discard the case.
The Beatles, which are also pushing for a return of their master recordings, raised the lawsuit following a royalty audit. The latest action is part of an ongoing discord between the two parties, one that dates back to 1979. At that point, the group successfully gained higher royalty percentages following a similar lawsuit, though the recent challenge pointed to continued fraudulence. The label has now been accused of improperly classifying various Beatles releases as damaging or destroyed, while actually selling the recordings in question.
Story by news analyst Alexandra Osorio.
