Sir Paul McCartney has filed a lawsuit against Sony/ATV in an attempt to regain control of a catalogue of hits by The Beatles.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the songwriter took the legal action in a Manhattan court on Wednesday, January 18) to "leverage the termination provisions of the Copyright Act".
This gives authors the right to reclaim ownership of their works from music publishers after a certain length of time has passed, which can be up to 70 years after an artist's death in the UK.
McCartney's decision to sue comes after he first notified Sony/ATV of his wish to reclaim the copyright in 2008. After the publisher declined to cooperate, the music icon is now seeking a ruling from the court that he can regain his music, as well as the payment of legal fees.
The star is hoping to receive the rights to 267 of the band's songs, including 'Yesterday,' 'Hey Jude' and 'Let It Be,' which were bought by Michael Jackson in the 1980s. Since Jackson died, his share in the rights has been sold back to Sony.
It's thought that McCartney has filed the lawsuit in the US because many of his songs composed with John Lennon between September 1962 and June 1971 will become eligible for copyright termination in 2018.
However, Duran Duran recently lost a similar case when the British High Court ruled that the contracts they signed in the UK were superior to their rights in the US. This has reportedly given Sony hope that it will be successful in the legal battle, although a spokesperson has said the company is "disappointed" with McCartney's move.
"Sony/ATV has the highest respect for Sir Paul McCartney with whom we have enjoyed a long and mutually rewarding relationship with respect to the treasured Lennon and McCartney song catalogue," a representative for the company said.
"We have collaborated closely with both Sir Paul and the late John Lennon's Estate for decades to protect, preserve and promote the catalogue's long-term value. We are disappointed that they have filed this lawsuit which we believe is both unnecessary and premature."
From: Digital Spy
