Well that’s a headline you probably didn’t think you’d see today. It’s true too- Paul McCartney, the famous member of The Beatles, is suing Sony/ATV for ownership of certain Beatles copyrights.
The thing is, another major artist is involved in the lawsuit as well: Michael Jackson.
Jackson, who passed away in 2009, bought the copyrights in question in 1985 and then those were fully sold over to Sony/ATV after he passed away. Now the 74-year-old McCartney wants them back.
Sony/ATV acquired the rights to the copyrights McCartney is requesting back in March of 2016 when it bought out Jackson’s half of Sony/ATV Music publishing.
The lawsuit was filed in a federal court in Manhattan on Wednesday, according to NBC Bay Area. It’s against Sony/ATV and its “over copyright of the many hit songs (McCartney) wrote with John Lennon as part of The Beatles.”
McCartney has reportedly wanted the copyrights for a while, and in the filing, he said he already notified Sony/ATV he will claim them back under a special provision of U.S. copyright law. The loophole allows McCartney to take back the copyright of a song after a certain amount of time. The first song accessible this way is “Love Me Do” in October of 2018 and the whole collection would be given back through 2026.
“We have collaborated closely with both Sir Paul and the late John Lennon’s Estate for decades to protect, preserve and promote the catalog’s long-term value,” Sony/ATV said while also adding the lawsuit was “both unnecessary and premature.”
Sony/ATV did also add it has “the highest respect” for Sir Paul McCartney.
