acushla
05-01-2006, 05:20 AM
Rock bands Cheap Trick and The Allman Brothers Band are suing SONY Music, claiming they are being shortchanged on royalties for songs downloaded legally over the Internet.’ The suit was filed in Manhattan and basically claims that SONY is paying these bands less than the half of the net revenue it receives from licensing songs to download services like iTunes and Napster.
The suit claims that SONY treats digital downloads like traditional record sales, rather than licensed music which demands a different royalty deal.
The bands are receiving 4 1/2 cents a song rather than the 30 cents they claim should be paid.
The bands want the suit declared a class action which would cover all SONY artists who signed deals between 1962 and 2002. If the court finds in favor of the suit it would add up to millions of dollars that SONY would have to pay the artists.
The suit claims that SONY treats digital downloads like traditional record sales, rather than licensed music which demands a different royalty deal.
The bands are receiving 4 1/2 cents a song rather than the 30 cents they claim should be paid.
The bands want the suit declared a class action which would cover all SONY artists who signed deals between 1962 and 2002. If the court finds in favor of the suit it would add up to millions of dollars that SONY would have to pay the artists.