Former Beatle Paul McCartney sued Sony Corp's music publishing arm on Wednesday in federal court in New York, seeking to reclaim copyrights to 267 Beatles songs that pop star Michael Jackson acquired two decades before his death.
Jackson famously outbid McCartney for publishing rights to the songs in 1985, paying $47.5 million to obtain the collection as part of a much larger trove of some 4,000 pop music tunes from Australian businessman Robert Holmes a Court.
The Beatles songs and rest of the ATV collection were then rolled into a joint venture Jackson formed in 1995 with his Sony-based label, creating Sony/ATV Music Publishing, which grew into the world's biggest song publisher.
His estate sold off its stake in Sony/ATV, including the Beatles collection, to Sony Corp for $750,000 in 2016, seven years after Jackson's fatal 2009 drug overdose from the powerful anesthetic propfol.
According to his lawsuit, McCartney put Sony/ATV Music Publishing on notice as early as October 2008 that he wished to reclaim rights to the dozens of songs he co-wrote with the late fellow ex-Beatle John Lennon from September 1962 to June 1971. Those songs form the bulk of the Beatles catalog.
The suit claims Sony/ATV has so far failed to acknowledge the composer's rights to terminate copyright transfers of that music, including such hits as "All You Need is Love" and "I Want to Hold Your Hand," under the U.S. Copyright Act.
"Because the earliest of Paul McCartney's terminations will take effect in 2018, a judicial declaration is necessary and appropriate at this time so that Paul McCartney can rely on quiet, unclouded title to his rights," the suit said.
Sony/ATV Music Publishing called the lawsuit "unnecessary and premature" in an emailed statement.
"Sony/ATV has the highest respect for Sir Paul McCartney, with whom we have enjoyed a long and mutually rewarding relationship with respect to the treasured Lennon & McCartney song catalog," Sony/ATV said.
The lawsuit said Sony/ATV attempted to stall talks with McCartney until the conclusion of a separate lawsuit involving similar claims by British pop band Duran Duran in an English court. Duran Duran lost the legal battle to a Sony/ATV subsidiary in December.
The suit is seeking a declaration from the court that McCartney can reclaim his copyright interests in the songs, as well as attorneys' fees.
Reuters
Thu Jan 19 2017
Musician Paul McCartney performs at the Desert Trip music festival at Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, U.S., October 8, 2016. - REUTERS pic/Mario Anzuoni
Bapa bunuh anak tiri, Mahkamah Persekutuan kekal hukuman mati
Mahkamah Persekutuan di sini hari ini mengekalkan hukuman gantung sampai mati terhadap seorang bapa yang membunuh anak tiri lelakinya yang berusia enam tahun, 13 tahun lepas.
Malaysia akan terajui pembangunan pusat data bagi suku ketiga 2024 - Juwai IQI
Prestasi ekonomi Malaysia yang teguh membantu melonjakkan permintaan dalam industri pusat data.
Jokowi ke Abu Dhabi untuk perbincangan dengan Presiden UAE mengenai kerjasama
Presiden Jokowi dijadual bertemu rakan sejawatannya dari UAE pada 17 Julai.
Tiga jurusolek lelaki berperwatakan wanita didakwa rompak rakan
Kesemua mereka dakwa mengikut Seksyen 395 Kanun Keseksaan yang membawa hukuman penjara maksimum 20 tahun dan boleh dikenakan denda dan sebat, jika sabit kesalahan.
Timbalan Speaker Dewan Rakyat buat laporan polis berkaitan hasutan, fitnah di Facebook
Datuk Ramli Mohd Nor mendapati hantaran pemilik akaun itu sangat tidak berasas dan tidak bertanggungjawab.
AWANI Ringkas: Pan-Gon letak jawatan | Ini pandangan peribadi
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
Agong berkenan berangkat ke pra-Mesyuarat Majlis Raja-Raja ke-266
Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim berkenan berangkat ke pra-Mesyuarat Majlis Raja-Raja (MRR) ke-266 di Istana Negarahari ini.
Status ADUN Rembia: DUN Melaka tunggu surat rasmi
Speaker DUN Melaka, Datuk Ibrahim Durum berkata, setakat ini pihaknya belum dimaklumkan secara rasmi dan perbincangan berhubung perkara itu akan diadakan.
Warga emas bersalah bunuh abang, kakak ipar
Mahkamah Tinggi di sini hari ini mensabitkan kesalahan seorang warga emas atas dua pertuduhan pindaan membunuh abang dan kakak iparnya dua tahun lalu.
PAC beri tempoh tiga bulan kepada HRD Corp kemuka laporan tindakan susulan
Mas Ermieyati Samsudin berkata tempoh itu diberikan susulan laporan audit berkaitan, baru dibentangkan pada minggu lepas.
Federal court fixed Dec 8 to hear Najib's application to intervene in Azilah's review
Deputy public prosecutor Muhammad Azmi Mashud appeared for the prosecution while lawyer J. Kuldeep Kumar appeared for Azilah.
[EKSKLUSIF] Apandi Ali umum letak jawatan, tak rela jadi 'kuda tunggangan' dalam UMNO
Mohamed Apandi letak jawatan sebagai Pengerusi Lembaga Displin kerana kecewa prosiding dengan Hishammuddin Hussein dibatalkan pucuk pimpinan.