Salt-N-Pepa Fight Universal Music for Copyrights

Salt-N-Pepa are currently engaged in a significant legal dispute with Universal Music Group (UMG) concerning the copyrights for their initial four albums. The Grammy-winning group initiated legal action in May 2023, aiming to regain control over "Hot, Cool & Vicious," "A Salt With a Deadly Pepa," "Blacks' Magic," and "Very Necessary." UMG contests this, citing contracts from 1986 that they assert classify the albums as 'works-for-hire,' thereby preventing the group from reclaiming ownership under the Copyright Act of 1976. This argument led to the case's dismissal in January 2024, but Salt-N-Pepa has since appealed the decision.

The group's appeal, now before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, posits that the 35-year copyright reclamation period begins upon a work's completion. UMG, however, reiterated its stance in a recent filing, stating that the group never truly owned the copyrights to begin with. According to UMG's lawyers, the 1986 agreements mean the masters were controlled by Next Plateau, which was absorbed by UMG. The music remains unavailable on streaming platforms, a situation highlighted by the group during their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction last November.