Los Lobos Sues Sony Over Million-Dollar Royalty Shortfall

Grammy-winning Chicano rock band Los Lobos has initiated legal action against Sony, alleging significant underpayment of royalties. Two separate lawsuits, collectively seeking at least $1.5 million in contractual damages, target different branches of the media conglomerate: Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment. These complaints stem from royalty disputes related to songs recorded for the films La Bamba (1987) and Desperado (1995).

The lawsuit against Sony Pictures, filed in November, asserts a "massive deficiency" in royalties from the La Bamba soundtrack. Los Lobos claims no royalties for streaming exploitation outside the United States and Canada have ever been paid, attributing this to the movie company's handling of international royalty accounting for the soundtrack. Despite a notice of breach sent in October, the issue remains unresolved.

A second lawsuit, filed last month and recently transferred to federal court, concerns the 1995 film Desperado. Los Lobos alleges it has never received streaming royalties for the song "Canción del Mariachi," recorded with Banderas. This oversight is deemed "even more egregious" as the song's popularity has surged due to its use as a walkout anthem, yet Sony and its imprint Milan Records allegedly continue to pay nothing for worldwide streaming.