Home / Arts and Entertainment / Los Lobos Sues Sony Over Million-Dollar Royalty Shortfall
Los Lobos Sues Sony Over Million-Dollar Royalty Shortfall
9 Jan
Summary
- Los Lobos is suing Sony for allegedly underpaying royalties.
- The band claims millions in unpaid streaming royalties for film soundtracks.
- Lawsuits target Sony Pictures and Sony Music Entertainment branches.
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.
