DIGITAL ROYALTIES TIMELINE

The Digital Royalties Lawsuits Timeline

Follow CMU’s coverage of the legal battles over digital royalties | CLICK for more timelines


ALLMAN BROTHERS ET AL V SONY MUSIC

May 2006
Rock bands sue over cut of digital revenues

July 2006
Dr Elmo joins Sony digital music lawsuit

March 2007
The Youngbloodz sue SonyBMG

April 2007
Youngbloodz(s) clarification

March 2009
Allman Brothers Sony lawsuit gets green light

March 2012
Sony close to settling the first big digital royalty dispute
Allman Brothers and Cheap Trick possibly have separate digital deals


FBT PRODUCTIONS V UNIVERSAL MUSIC

May 2007
Eminem producers sue over digital royalties

February 2009
Eminem producer lawsuit could have big ramifications

March 2009
Universal win Shady tunes court fight

September 2010
Appeal court rules in Eminem producers’ favour

October 2010
Ninth Circuit refuses to rehear Eminem royalty split case

December 2010
Universal takes FBT dispute to Supreme Court

February 2011
Is Universal employing delaying tactics in FBT case?

March 2011
Supreme court refuses to hear Universal’s FBT appeal

February 2012
FBT court papers suggest Universal may owe $4 million in digital royalties

May 2012
Apple insists FBT case submissions should remain a secret

June 2012
Judge allows international royalties dispute to feature at next hearing

October 2012
Universal settles with FBT Productions over digital royalties


OTHER ARTISTS SUE & THE POST-FBT CLASS ACTIONS

April 2011
Rick James estate to test extent of FBT ruling

May 2011
More legacy artists sue for bigger digital royalty share

November 2011
Judge allows digital royalties class action to proceed

February 2012
Warner pulled into digital royalties dispute via Sister Sledge lawsuit
Kenny Rogers sues EMI over digital royalties
Toto pull Sony Music into digital royalties debate

March 2012
Sony close to settling the first big digital royalty dispute
Temptations join digital royalty dispute party
Sony try to get Toto’s digital royalties action dismissed
Warner faces new digital royalties lawsuit

April 2012
‘Weird Al’ Yankovic joins digital royalty fight
The Motels file latest digital royalties lawsuit in the US

May 2012
Doobie Brother joins digital royalties litigation party

September 2012
James Taylor sues Warner over digital royalties
Two more artists sue Sony over digital royalties

May 2013
Data squabble underway in Universal’s ongoing digital royalties battle

July 2013
Doobie Brother settles in digital royalty squabble
US rocker settles digital royalties dispute with Sony

October 2013
Digital royalties dispute is brewing in Europe too

December 2013
‘Weird Al’ Yankovic settles lawsuit with Sony Music

January 2014
Warner tries to settle digital royalties class action
Counting Crows sue for bigger digital cut

February 2014
Survivor join the digital royalty fight
Warner launches website to explain proposed digital royalties settlement

May 2014
Brad Paisley lawsuit could have digital royalties dimension
Sony responds to Brad Paisley’s latest royalty dispute manoeuvre
Universal calls for myriad digital royalty lawsuits to be dismissed

March 2015
Universal preparing to settle digital royalty class actions

April 2015
Universal proposes settlement in long running digital royalties dispute

May 2014
Brad Paisley lawsuit could have digital royalties dimension


THE 19 V SONY CASE

February 2014
19 Entertainment sues Sony over royalties

July 2014
Sony’s move to have 19 lawsuit dismissed covers file-sharing legal battle loot

March 2015
Sony fails to knock out 19’s Idol stars lawsuit

April 2015
Sony hits back in 19 lawsuit, claims it overpaid former Idols

May 2015
More legal wrangling in 19 v Sony battle

June 2015
19 adds the ‘Spotify equity issue’ to its big Sony Music legal battle

July 2015
Sony Music on Spotify equity issue: no obligation to artists
FAC hits out at Sony legal filing, welcomes Berklee report

September 2016
Too much ambiguity in Sony’s streaming deals for summary judgement


THE MAKING AVAILABLE CASES

March 2015
Finnish case could set interesting precedent over pre-iTunes catalogue

September 2015
Johan Johansson to be culled from Spotify after ‘making available’ win


MORE RECENT ROYALTY DISPUTES INVOLVING SALES V LICENCE

December 2015
Elvis estate suing on digital royalties

October 2016
Quincy Jones lawsuit to include sales v licence debate, delays court date

March 2016
Elvis Presley Enterprises suffers set back in long-running Sony legal battle

January 2017
The Carpenters sue Universal over unpaid royalties
Quincy Jones’ Jackson Estate lawsuit to proceed to trial


Last updated: January 2017