George Clinton is taking legal action against his former business associate, Armen Boladian, alleging that he illegally acquired the rights to a significant portion of the funk innovator’s music library.
Clinton’s legal representatives filed a lawsuit on Tuesday (March 11) in federal court in Florida, accusing Boladian and his Bridgeport Music of engaging in “abusive, deceitful, and fraudulent practices” aimed at robbing Clinton and profiting from his achievements.
“I’m standing up for my life’s work and to ensure that future generations of artists receive fair treatment,” Clinton expressed in a statement shared by his legal team. “When you’re young and just beginning your journey in the music industry, it’s all too easy for others to take advantage of you.”
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The extensive complaint claims Boladian orchestrated a “long-running scheme to cheat Clinton,” which involved improperly utilizing the artist’s signature to grant himself rights to Clinton’s music and fabricating essential legal documents. It states that Boladian and Bridgeport now control 90 percent of Clinton’s catalog.
“For years, George Clinton has defined the music landscape and inspired countless artists, yet he has been systematically stripped of the rights and royalties he rightfully earns,” remarked Ben Crump, an attorney representing Clinton in the case.
In a response to Billboard, Boladian’s attorney Richard Busch vehemently refuted the claims: “This is merely the latest in a long line of lawsuits that Mr. Clinton has instituted against Armen Boladian and his companies over the span of 30 years addressing precisely the same issues. He has been unsuccessful each time, even in the very courthouse where he has lodged this most recent suit. We will clearly be moving to have this lawsuit dismissed and will seek sanctions.”
Importantly, besides seeking damages, the lawsuit is requesting an injunction to prevent Boladian from marketing Clinton’s catalog to prospective buyers — a claim that Clinton’s attorneys assert he is actively pursuing: “Plaintiff has reason to believe that Boladian is seeking to sell assets including the rights and ownership stakes in Plaintiff’s catalog.”
Bridgeport Music is a prominent entity in the realm of music law. The company has initiated numerous copyright infringement lawsuits against well-known artists accused of sampling songs from Clinton and others, including a case against Jay-Z and another regarding an N.W.A. track which led to a significant ruling on sampling practices.
In the lawsuit filed on Tuesday, Clinton’s legal team referenced that litigation strategy in their accusations against Boladian, labeling him a “copyright troll” who exploits songs “he pillaged the rights to.”
“Interestingly, the rightful owner of this catalog, Clinton, has never been included as a claimant in these lawsuits nor has he received any part of the millions collected by Boladian,” Clinton’s legal representatives noted.
Read the entire lawsuit here:
- Source: NEWHD MEDIA
