Bob Dylan Hit With Multi-Million Dollar Lawsuit by Late Co-Songwriter s Wife
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The Like a Rolling Stone hitmaker and Universal Music Group have been named defendants in a lawsuit launched by the wife of his late co-songwriter over alleged unpaid royalties. Jan 22, 2021
Bob Dylan and Universal Music Group are being sued for $7.25 million (£5.3 million).
The legendary singer/songwriter sold the rights to his entire song catalogue - which includes tunes that span his 60-year career - to the label in December for over $300 million (£219 million), but
Claudia Levy, the wife of the late
Jacques Levy, has claimed her spouse s estate have not received any money from the deal.
Bob Dylan and Universal Music Group are being sued for $7.25 million.
The 79-year-old legend sold the rights to his entire song catalogue - which includes songs that span his 60-year career -to the label in December for over $300million.
But Claudia Levy, the wife of the late Jacques Levy, has claimed her spouse s estate have not received any money from the deal and is now taking Dylan and Universal to court.
Taking him to court: Bob Dylan (above 2012) and Universal Music Group are being sued by the widow of songwriter Jacques Levy, who collaborated with the Like A Rolling Stone artist on his 1976 album Desire
Desire is arguably his most famous songwriting collaboration.
Whereas with typical co-writing arrangements, Levy would be entitled to an ownership share of the songs, his agreement with Dylan was instead made as a work-for-hire deal that gave Dylan full ownership. Only it was not a typical work-for-hire either. Instead, the pact entitled Levy and his publisher to 35% the songs revenue, paid by Dylan or directly from a performance rights organization. (The contract states ASCAP and BMI, but Dylan has been signed with SESAC since 1995.)
Per the lawsuit, Dylan was obligated to pay Levy “Thirty-five (35%) percent of any and all income earned by the Compositions and actually received by [the Dylan Defendants] from mechanical rights, electrical transcriptions, reproducing rights, motion picture synchronization and television rights, and all other rights therein” which Claudia Levy and her attorney
21 January 2021
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The 79-year-old legend sold the rights to his entire song catalogue - which includes songs that span his 60-year career -to the label in December for over $300 million, but Claudia Levy, the wife of the late Jacques Levy, has claimed her spouse s estate have not received any money from the deal.
Levy - who died in 2004 - co-wrote seven of the nine songs on Dylan’s 1976 album Desire , and Claudia insisted in a claim made to Manhattan s Supreme Court that his estate is owed 35% “of any and all income earned by the compositions” including “35% of the purchase price paid to the Dylan defendants.