DURING a career spanning almost four decades, Prince broke with his record label, changed his name and yanked his songs off popular streaming services to prove a point: no one could tell him what to do with his music.
Though the impulse to control his catalog inspired fellow artists, it limited Prince's exposure and hurt the value of his music. Now, because he failed to leave a will, his wishes are taking a backseat. His estate, represented by music industry veteran Charles A. Koppelman and entertainment lawyer L. Londell McMillan, is racing under a court mandate to get the most from a catalog of about 1,000 songs including "Purple Rain'' and "When Doves Cry.''
The two have selected some of the music industry's most powerful companies, including Universal Music Group, as stewards of Prince's legacy. His music, absent for the past year and a half from most major streaming services, is expected to be available in time for the Grammy Awards next month, while Prince's name and likeness will soon be showing up on merchandise. Given his catalog, the estate could be worth $50 million to $200 million.
"We are putting the estate and the entertainment assets in the hands of the best companies and the best people to create the biggest value,'' Koppelman said in an interview. "Each new deal is state of the art with the best companies, and the best terms and conditions.''
Koppelman, a towering music industry figure who led EMI and has worked with legends including Billy Joel and Carole King, is under pressure to act quickly for a variety of legal reasons, including a looming estate tax.
Valuing estates can be a contentious process. Michael Jackson's estate is still fighting the Internal Revenue Service almost 10 years after the pop star's death. Actor Robin Williams made it easy. He left his intellectual property to his foundation, eliminating any tax issues, and still asked that no one exploit that IP for several years.
An estate tax is typically due nine months after someone's death, which in Prince's case is later this month. Because he left no will, the estate and its administrators have a legal responsibility to maximize the return -- regardless of what the artist may have wanted.
"His intent is irrelevant because he never wrote it down,'' said Laura Zwicker, who oversees estate planning at Greenberg Glusker Fields Claman & Machtinger and supplied the estimated value of Prince's estate. "That's why it's so imperative to get people to write their intent down. Even if they knew his intent and wanted to follow it, they can't.''
Better to get the deals done now than wait, Koppelman said. The estate administration won't last forever and at some point, heirs will take over. Right now it's not clear who those will be. Several prospective heirs have stepped forward, including Prince's sister, Tyka Nelson, a half brother and four step-siblings, according to Billboard magazine.
So far, Prince's estate has chosen companies to oversee his catalog of songs, public performance rights and merchandise, and is close to selecting a company to represent his master recordings. It's even offering tours of the artist's estate at Paisley Park in Minnesota for $38.50.
Those deals will remain valid regardless of who ultimately ends up in charge of the assets, according to Zwicker. The court overseeing the estate recently replaced Bremer Financial Corp. with Comerica Inc. as temporary administrator.
Prince reclaimed most of his music out of a desire for control -- and to ensure he was the biggest beneficiary of his hard work. In the 1990s, he broke away from Warner Bros. Records because he felt he lacked artistic control. In 2007, he considered suing YouTube for not removing unauthorized postings of his songs, and in 2015 he yanked his music off Spotify. Yet that approach meant there were no deals in place to take advantage of his songs or personal brand after his death last year at age 57.
"The revenue was never maximized, so the asset wasn't maximized,'' Koppelman said. These new deals will add value to the estate in the short term and the long term, he said.
While the deals may seem like a mad dash for cash, Koppelman said he and McMillan are trying to balance Prince's wishes against their legal obligation. New licensees, including Vivendi's Universal Music, the world's largest music company, and Irving Azoff's Global Music Rights, have pledged in writing not to abuse their power over a musician's legacy.
"The main entertainment assets of the estate are in better hands today than they were before,'' Koppelman said.
The Washington Post
Wed Jan 18 2017
![With no will, Prince loses the control he zealously guarded With no will, Prince loses the control he zealously guarded](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2016-08/61471916746_Prince.jpg)
So far, Prince's estate has chosen companies to oversee his catalog of songs, public performance rights and merchandise, and is close to selecting a company to represent his master recordings. - Filepic
![Ahli ekonomi yakin pertumbuhan KDNK sekitar 5.8 peratus pada suku kedua 2024 Ahli ekonomi yakin pertumbuhan KDNK sekitar 5.8 peratus pada suku kedua 2024](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-06/81717305735_EkonomiMalaysia.jpg)
Ahli ekonomi yakin pertumbuhan KDNK sekitar 5.8 peratus pada suku kedua 2024
Kalangan ahli ekonomi yakin KDNK Malaysia bagi suku kedua 2024 akan berkembang pada 5.8 peratus berbanding 4.2 peratus pada suku pertama tahun ini.
AWANI Pagi: Berita tumpuan & menarik di astroawani.com [15 Ogos 2024]
Antara fokus AWANI Pagi bersama Nursyazwani Saiful Sham dan Afiezy Azaman
- Mayat lelaki di jambatan Klang dipercayai YouTuber Nidza Afham
- BNM denda Maybank, CIMB kerana gangguan perkhidmatan berpanjangan
- JIWA SME: Inovasi kuih sejuk beku jadi kudapan jemaah tunai umrah
#AWANInews #AWANIpagi
- Mayat lelaki di jambatan Klang dipercayai YouTuber Nidza Afham
- BNM denda Maybank, CIMB kerana gangguan perkhidmatan berpanjangan
- JIWA SME: Inovasi kuih sejuk beku jadi kudapan jemaah tunai umrah
#AWANInews #AWANIpagi
![Cisco akan kurangkan 7 peratus tenaga kerja globalnya Cisco akan kurangkan 7 peratus tenaga kerja globalnya](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-08/41723681507_Ciscologo.jpg)
Cisco akan kurangkan 7 peratus tenaga kerja globalnya
Langkah mengurangkan kakitangan itu dijangka melibatkan kos pra-cukai sehingga AS$1 bilion.
Jiwa SME: Kuih tradisonal sejuk beku 'diterbangkan' ke Tanah Suci
Inovasi pembuatan makanan sejuk beku, terutama kuih muih tradisional telah berjaya membawa produk itu ke peringkat global, terutama dalam memenuhi citarasa jemaah haji dan umrah rakyat Malaysia di Tanah Suci Mekah dan Madinah.
![Gol sulung Mbappe bantu Real Madrid juarai Piala Super UEFA Gol sulung Mbappe bantu Real Madrid juarai Piala Super UEFA](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-08/51723679998_KylianMbappe.jpg)
Gol sulung Mbappe bantu Real Madrid juarai Piala Super UEFA
"Ia adalah malam yang hebat. Ia adalah detik yang hebat untuk saya. Dan kami memenangi kejuaraan, yang penting - di Madrid anda perlu sentiasa menang."
![“I love you Am, bahagialah di syurga firdausi” - Aufahanie “I love you Am, bahagialah di syurga firdausi” - Aufahanie](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-08/51723679258_AufahanieNidzaAfh.jpg)
“I love you Am, bahagialah di syurga firdausi” - Aufahanie
Air mata Aufahanie sudah kering meratapi pemergian abang tercinta, Nidza Afham yang ditemui meninggal dunia selepas dilaporkan hilang.
Konsert jelajah: Taylor Swift teruskan konsert London selepas ancaman keganasan
Taylor Swift akan meneruskan persembahan di London pada Khamis, meneruskan jelajah konsert terbesar dunia di tengah-tengah kebimbangan keselamatan susulan cubaan serangan Daesh memaksa pembatalan tarikh konsert di Vienna, minggu lalu.
Taliban rai ulang tahun ketiga pemerintahan Afghanistan
Kerajaan Taliban semalam meraikan ulang tahun ketiga pemerintahannya di Afghanistan dengan perarakan tentera yang memberi penghormatan kepada bom buatan sendiri yang digunakan ketika peperangan, pesawat pejuang dan perbarisan pasukan keselamatan.
![Bapa bintang bola sepak Sepanyol, Lamine Yamal ditikam - Laporan Bapa bintang bola sepak Sepanyol, Lamine Yamal ditikam - Laporan](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-08/61723677980_MounirNasraoui.jpg)
Bapa bintang bola sepak Sepanyol, Lamine Yamal ditikam - Laporan
Mounir Nasraoui, bapa kepada Lamine Yamal, ditikam pada lewat Rabu di tempat letak kereta di bandar Mataro di timur laut Sepanyol.
Warga AS dihukum penjara 15 hari di Rusia kerana bersikap samseng
Mahkamah Moscow menjatuhkan hukuman penjara 15 hari kepada warga Amerika Syarikat Joseph Tater pada Rabu kerana bersikap samseng.
![Lebuh raya Minnesota dinamakan sempena Prince Lebuh raya Minnesota dinamakan sempena Prince](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2023-05/51683241879_SharonNelson.jpg)
Lebuh raya Minnesota dinamakan sempena Prince
Tanda-tanda berwarna ungu akan dipasang sepanjang 11 kilometer lebuh raya negeri, State Highway 5 di pinggiran bandar Minneapolis Chanhassen.
![Tiada jelmaan Prince di Super Bowl, anggap tindakan 'hidupkan' artis yang dah mati perbuatan syaitan Tiada jelmaan Prince di Super Bowl, anggap tindakan 'hidupkan' artis yang dah mati perbuatan syaitan](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2018-02/71517792479_princesinger.jpg)
Tiada jelmaan Prince di Super Bowl, anggap tindakan 'hidupkan' artis yang dah mati perbuatan syaitan
Timberlake berhasrat berduet bersama Prince yangdihidupkan kembali menerusi hologram pada acara selingan separuh masa Super Bowl
![Justin Bieber dikecam akibat kenyataan tidak sensitif berkenaan Prince Justin Bieber dikecam akibat kenyataan tidak sensitif berkenaan Prince](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2016-04/51461484586_JustinBieber.jpg)
Justin Bieber dikecam akibat kenyataan tidak sensitif berkenaan Prince
Penyanyi antarabangsa, Justin Bieber menimbulkan kemarahan ribuan peminat Prince berikutan komen tidak sensitif yang ditinggalkan di laman Instagram berkenaan mendiang Prince.
![Prince disemadikan dalam upacara tertutup Prince disemadikan dalam upacara tertutup](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2016-04/51461473432_Princepurplerain.jpg)
Prince disemadikan dalam upacara tertutup
Mayat ikon popular, Prince, yang meninggal dunia Jumaat lepas, disemadi dengan dibakar dalam satu upacara tertutup.
![Kematian Prince bukan kerana bunuh diri - Polis Kematian Prince bukan kerana bunuh diri - Polis](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2016-04/41461379300_950x600.jpg)
Kematian Prince bukan kerana bunuh diri - Polis
Polis menolak kemungkinan ikon pop, Prince membunuh diri, kerana tiada kesan trauma berdasarkan bedah siasat yang dijalankan.
![Legenda muzik Prince meninggal dunia Legenda muzik Prince meninggal dunia](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2016-04/81461287395_Prince.jpg)
Legenda muzik Prince meninggal dunia
Prince ditemui meninggal dunia di kediamannya di Minnesota, pada usia 57 tahun.
![La Toya Jackson urus bakat anak Michael La Toya Jackson urus bakat anak Michael](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2013-03/41362497988_295x200.jpg)
La Toya Jackson urus bakat anak Michael
Kakak kepada Michael Jackson itu kini menguruskan kerjaya Prince, Paris dan Blanket.
![Anak Michael Jackson kini bergelar wartawan Anak Michael Jackson kini bergelar wartawan](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2013-02/61361421371_295x200.jpg)
Anak Michael Jackson kini bergelar wartawan
Prince yang berusia 16 tahun turut bercita-cita untuk menjadi penulis skrip, pelakon, penerbit dan pengarah.