*Nearly a decade after Bernie Worrell’s death, the musician’s estate has scored a significant legal victory in its effort to continue pursuing claims against George Clinton over royalties tied to Parliament-Funkadelic recordings, Reuters reports.
Worrell, who performed with Parliament-Funkadelic from 1969 through 1981, had a long history of disputes with Clinton regarding compensation. During their years working together, the two initially operated under oral arrangements before entering into a written contract in 1976.
Questions surrounding that agreement now sit at the center of the latest lawsuit. Filed in 2022, the case argues that the contract was never valid. The estate contends that if the agreement is found invalid, Worrell would qualify as a co-owner of the recordings under U.S. copyright law and would be entitled to receive royalties from them.
The legal battle stretches back decades. Worrell previously brought lawsuits against Clinton in 1981 and 1984 alleging unpaid royalties. The first case resulted in new agreements between the parties, while the second came to an end after Clinton entered bankruptcy proceedings.
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After Worrell died in 2016, his estate renewed the fight by filing additional lawsuits in 2019 and 2022. A federal court later dismissed the 2022 case after determining the claims had been filed too late.
That ruling has now been overturned. Last month, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals concluded that the timing issue may not be settled and returned the case to a Michigan federal court for further proceedings.
According to the appeals court, the clock on the estate’s claims may not have begun running until 2020. The judges pointed to testimony Clinton gave during the 2019 litigation in which he reportedly said his company had never signed the 1976 agreement.
Richard Busch, an attorney representing the estate, welcomed the decision.
“Bernie Worrell was the heart and soul of Parliament-Funkadelic but was not paid by George Clinton,” Busch said.
He added, “His widow Judie is now continuing the fight for Bernie’s rights, and the Sixth Circuit’s decision today is a great step in the right direction.”
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB.COM: George Clinton Triumphs in Court Over Parliament-Funkadelic Catalog Ownership
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