Home / Arts and Entertainment / Ricardo Montaner Sues UMG Over Masters
Ricardo Montaner Sues UMG Over Masters
1 Jul
Summary
- Montaner is suing UMG for rights to his first five albums.
- He claims no royalties have been paid since 2001.
- The singer seeks ownership and financial damages from UMG.
Ricardo Montaner is currently engaged in legal battles with Universal Music Group (UMG) in both the United States and Venezuela. The core of the dispute centers on the ownership of the masters for his initial five albums, released between 1986 and 1992. These include seminal works like 'La Cima Del Cielo' and 'Castillo Azul'.
Montaner asserts that UMG has failed to pay him any royalties since gaining control of his masters in 2001. He is invoking a copyright law that permits creators to reclaim their intellectual property decades after initial agreements. Believing he is now entitled to ownership, Montaner entered into a new distribution deal in 2025, but UMG contests the validity of his termination notice.
The singer is asking the courts to legally confirm him as the rightful owner of these albums and to prevent UMG from interfering with his exploitation rights. He is also seeking unspecified financial damages from the music conglomerate. UMG is involved in a similar termination rights dispute with the group Salt-N-Pepa, which is currently under appeal.
