A legendary hip hop duo just lost a major rights lawsuit. A federal judge tossed the case filed by Salt-Nepapa against Universal Music Group. The ruling stated the artists could not reclaim their master recordings because they never legally owned them in the first place. Cheryl James and Sandra Denton, the members of the group, had sued to regain copyrights and physical masters.
They tried using a copyright law that lets artists reclaim ownership decades after a transfer. Their legal termination notice was served to UMG with a specific effective date. The judge found their argument flawed. The court decided that the applicable law only helps artists who originally owned and then transferred their rights.
The decision hinged on three deals signed long ago. Salt-Nepapa entered a recording agreement with a production company owned by their producer, Hurby Azor. That company was labeled the sole owner of all rights to the master recordings, including copyrights. Azor then separately signed a distribution pact with Next Plateau Records, transferring those rights.
The duo argued that a letter they signed acted as a direct grant of rights to the label. The judge rejected this view. The letter only showed they agreed to representations made in the other deal, which stated the production company was the exclusive owner. The ruling clarified that the artists could only terminate grants they themselves executed, not those made by the production company.
A claim about interference with possession of the master tapes was also dismissed. The court said the pair failed to show plausible ownership of those tapes. UMG is the corporate successor to the relevant labels. The company had previously removed dozens of the group's recordings from streaming platforms.
A spokesperson for Universal Music Group responded to the verdict. They expressed gratification with the dismissal, calling the lawsuit baseless. The spokesperson said the company made several attempts to settle the issue amicably before litigation, aiming to improve artist compensation and keep music accessible. They added that UMG remains open to a resolution and wants to focus on amplifying the duo's legacy.
They tried using a copyright law that lets artists reclaim ownership decades after a transfer. Their legal termination notice was served to UMG with a specific effective date. The judge found their argument flawed. The court decided that the applicable law only helps artists who originally owned and then transferred their rights.
The decision hinged on three deals signed long ago. Salt-Nepapa entered a recording agreement with a production company owned by their producer, Hurby Azor. That company was labeled the sole owner of all rights to the master recordings, including copyrights. Azor then separately signed a distribution pact with Next Plateau Records, transferring those rights.
The duo argued that a letter they signed acted as a direct grant of rights to the label. The judge rejected this view. The letter only showed they agreed to representations made in the other deal, which stated the production company was the exclusive owner. The ruling clarified that the artists could only terminate grants they themselves executed, not those made by the production company.
A claim about interference with possession of the master tapes was also dismissed. The court said the pair failed to show plausible ownership of those tapes. UMG is the corporate successor to the relevant labels. The company had previously removed dozens of the group's recordings from streaming platforms.
A spokesperson for Universal Music Group responded to the verdict. They expressed gratification with the dismissal, calling the lawsuit baseless. The spokesperson said the company made several attempts to settle the issue amicably before litigation, aiming to improve artist compensation and keep music accessible. They added that UMG remains open to a resolution and wants to focus on amplifying the duo's legacy.
