By Preezy Brown, Vibe | A federal judge in New York has dismissed Salt-N-Pepa’s lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG), dealing a setback to the legendary Hip-Hop duo’s effort to reclaim ownership of their master recordings.
The lawsuit, filed by group members Cheryl “Salt” James and Sandra “Pepa” Denton, centered on Section 203 of the Copyright Act, which allows creators to terminate certain transfers of copyright after a statutory period. James and Denton also accused UMG of pulling their music from streaming services in retaliation after they initially filed suit.
The decision was issued by U.S. District Judge Denise Cote and focused heavily on the group’s original 1986 contract. According to the ruling, the duo failed to demonstrate that they ever owned the master recordings they sought to reclaim under federal termination law.
Instead, the court pointed to Noise In The Attic Productions, Inc. (NITA)-founded by producer Hurby “Luv Bug” Azor-as the original copyright holder of the recordings. The masters were later transferred from NITA to Next Plateau Records, acquired by London Records, and ultimately absorbed by UMG.
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https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/salt-n-pepa-s-umg-lawsuit-dismissed-by-federal-judge/