Cher locked down her half of Sonny and Cher royalties after a judge ruled that her 1978 divorce settlement trumps copyright law termination rules. Mary Bono tried yanking the singer's cut by claiming heirs could reclaim rights under federal copyright provisions, but the court sided with Cher and awarded her over $187,000 in withheld publishing money from classic tracks, like I Got You Babe and The Beat Goes On.
The Bono estate scored one minor win when the judge said Mary gets final say on royalty administration, though Cher can still challenge fees and administrator qualifications. Mary's legal team plans to appeal the decision.
The ruling also clarified that royalties stay legally payable to Cher even after she sold her catalog rights to Iconic Artists Group, meaning she collects the checks before passing them along to the new owners.
The Bono estate scored one minor win when the judge said Mary gets final say on royalty administration, though Cher can still challenge fees and administrator qualifications. Mary's legal team plans to appeal the decision.
The ruling also clarified that royalties stay legally payable to Cher even after she sold her catalog rights to Iconic Artists Group, meaning she collects the checks before passing them along to the new owners.
