George Clinton, the iconic Parliament-Funkadelic singer, has taken legal action against his former business partner, Armen Boladian, alleging that Boladian took advantage of Clinton’s success. The lawsuit, filed on March 11 in Florida District Court, claims that Boladian fraudulently obtained the copyrights to approximately 90% of Clinton’s discography. The allegations include fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and copyright infringement against Boladian and his company, Bridgeport Music, as reported by Music Business Worldwide.
Additionally, the lawsuit accuses Westbound Records, Nine Records, Southfield Music, and Eastbound Records of continuing to profit unlawfully from Clinton’s music. During a press conference outside the Apollo Theatre, Clinton, accompanied by his lawyer Ben Crump, expressed the importance of fighting for the songs that represent his history. He emphasized the significance of ensuring that his family receives what they are due and inherit from his hard work.
Furthermore, the legal action claims that Boladian withheld millions of dollars in royalties from George Clinton. According to the court filing, Boladian and Bridgeport engaged in a lengthy scheme to defraud Clinton and other successful artists. In response, Richard Busch, attorney for Boladian and Bridgeport, stated that this lawsuit is part of a pattern of legal challenges that Clinton has initiated over the past three decades. Busch highlighted that previous lawsuits filed by Clinton in the same courthouse have been unsuccessful and indicated that they will move to dismiss this latest lawsuit and seek sanctions.
This legal dispute underscores the complexities and challenges faced by artists in protecting their intellectual property rights and ensuring fair compensation for their creative work. It sheds light on the ongoing struggles within the music industry regarding copyright ownership, royalty payments, and the exploitation of artists’ creative output
Read the full article from Mixmag here: Read More
