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George Clinton Sues Universal Music Over $1M Royalty Freeze
18 May
Summary
- George Clinton alleges Universal Music Group froze over $1 million in royalties.
- A lawsuit claims UMG is financially crippling him over a past legal dispute.
- Clinton argues the royalty freeze is unjustified despite a settled lawsuit.
Funk icon George Clinton is suing Universal Music Group (UMG) for allegedly freezing more than $1 million in his royalty accounts. The lawsuit, filed recently, states that UMG has withheld all his royalties due to a separate, years-old dispute concerning the catalog ownership of the late Bernie Worrell.
Clinton's legal team asserts that UMG's continued withholding of funds is unjustified, as the Worrell lawsuit was dismissed last year. They argue that the frozen royalties, held for over three years, are financially crippling the artist. This action persists despite UMG no longer being involved in the Worrell litigation, which sought co-ownership of numerous P-Funk tracks.
UMG had initially withheld royalties during the litigation, a standard practice. However, the company was later dropped from the Worrell case. Although the estate's lawsuit against Clinton was also dismissed, it remains under appeal. Clinton's new suit contends that UMG's breach of contract is unwarranted, as the company faces no liability in the ongoing appeals process.
