George Clinton Files $100 Million Lawsuit For Ownership Of His Music Catalog

George Clinton has filed an $100 million lawsuit against Armen Boladian and Bridgeport Music, alleging that Boladian fraudulently obtained ownership of approximately 90% of his musical catalog.

Variety reported that Clinton filed the lawsuit on Tuesday (March 11) in Florida District Court alleging that Boladian and Bridgeport Music, Westbound Records, Nine Records, Southfield Music and Eastbound Records “unlawfully continue to profit off of his music.”

On the steps of the famed Apollo Theater, Clinton announced the suit, accompanied by his attorney Ben Crump and his associates, saying he intends to “reclaim ownership of his catalog to provide generational wealth to his family.”

“These songs we’re talking about is my history,” Clinton said. “I have to fight for them, I have to make sure that I did not do all of this my whole life and have my family here, not get what’s due to them, what they inherit.”

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“We don’t have a chance to pass down 40 acres and mules to our families. We do not have the copyrights for the songs. So I’m here along with Ben and partners to make sure that Armen does not get what we worked so hard for,” he continued.

According to the suit, Boladian, Clinton’s former business partner, withheld millions of dollars in royalties and “engaged in deceptive and fraudulent practices over the years.” From 1982 to 1985, Boladian is accused of fabricating multiple versions of agreements that designated additional rights to Clinton’s catalog. He’s also accused of making up fake names and pseudonyms to copyright registrations to minimize Clinton’s share of royalties.

In the past, Boladian filed hundreds of lawsuits against musicians who sampled Clinton’s catalog. The funk legend’s suit claims he was never included as a plaintiff in those lawsuits and “did not receive any of the millions Boladian got from them.”

For several years, the two parties have been embroiled in numerous battles. Clinton lost a copyright lawsuit against Boladian in 2001 following a Florida judge’s ruling that music dating from 1976-83 is owned by Boladian’s Bridgeport Music.

Richard Busch, Boladian and Bridgeport’s attorney, was dismissive of Clinton’s claims.

“This is just the latest in a series of lawsuits that Mr. Clinton has filed against Bridgeport and Armen Boladian over the last 30 years raising the same exact issues,” reads the statement. “He has lost each and every time, including in the very courthouse in which he has filed this latest lawsuit. We will obviously therefore be moving to dismiss this lawsuit and will be seeking sanctions.”

via: Hot97

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