"While we are gratified that the court dismissed this baseless lawsuit, it should never have been brought in the first place. Prior to this suit-and without any legal obligation to do so-we made multiple attempts to resolve the matter amicably, improve the artists' compensation, and ensure that Salt-N-Pepa's fans had access to their music. Even with the court's complete rejection of their claims, we remain open and willing to find a resolution to the matter and turn the page so we can focus our efforts on working together to amplify Salt-N-Pepa's legacy for generations to come."
"U.S. District Judge Denise Cote finds that Salt-N-Pepa never owned their masters to begin with; the group had originally granted ownership to their first label, Noise in the Attic (NITA) Productions, and were not included in the contract that transferred those rights to UMG predecessor Next Plateau Records in 1986."
"Last year, Salt-N-Pepa's Cheryl "Salt" James and Sandra "Pepa" Denton filed suit against Universal Music Group (UMG) over the rights to their catalog, claiming that the label had pulled the duo's songs from streaming platforms after they attempted to regain control of their masters."
Cheryl "Salt" James and Sandra "Pepa" Denton sued Universal Music Group claiming the label removed their songs from streaming after they sought to reclaim master copyrights under Section 203 termination rights. Their former DJ, Spinderella, was not a party to the complaint. U.S. District Judge Denise Cote dismissed the lawsuit and found the duo never owned their masters, which had been granted to Noise in the Attic (NITA) Productions and were not included in the 1986 transfer to Next Plateau Records, UMG's predecessor. UMG stated it had attempted to resolve the dispute, improve compensation, ensure fan access, and remained open to a resolution.
Read at Pitchfork
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