*Salt-N-Pepa’s legal battle to reclaim their master recordings has ended in defeat after a judge dismissed their lawsuit against Universal Music Group, Billboard reports.
Cheryl “Salt” James and Sandra “Pepa” Denton had attempted to invoke termination rights under Section 203 of the Copyright Act, which allows artists to recover their copyrights decades after initially transferring them. The duo filed termination notices in 2022 and sued UMG in May 2024 after the company rejected their request. Their lawsuit sought control over early recordings, including 1986’s “Hot, Cool & Vicious,” the 1987 breakthrough single “Push It,” and the multi-platinum 1993 album “Very Necessary,” while also demanding damages exceeding $1 million.
Salt-N-Pepa argued the Copyright Act of 1976 permits musicians to terminate copyright transfers 35 years after the original agreement. They accused UMG of removing their music from streaming platforms, “maliciously punishing” fans, according to the Toronto Star. “UMG has indicated that it will hold Plaintiffs’ rights hostage even if it means tanking the value of Plaintiffs’ music catalogue,” the complaint states.
The Grammy-winning rappers emphasized their cultural significance and the law’s purpose to protect artists who signed away rights early in their careers. “Salt-N-Pepa boldly changed the look of rap and hip-hop,” the lawsuit says. “They were not afraid to talk about sex and to share their thoughts about men. Their sound recordings ‘Let’s Talk About Sex’ and ‘None of Your Business,’ for example, were huge hits. They talked candidly about women’s sexuality and empowerment when such topics were frowned upon, heavily criticized, and called taboo.”
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UMG maintained that the recordings were “works made for hire” and that James and Denton weren’t parties to the original contracts. Judge Denise Cote agreed on Thursday, January 8, finding the 1986 deal was exclusively between Next Plateau Records and Noise in the Attic Productions, a music production company controlled by producer Hurby “Luv Bug” Azor.
“The only copyright transfer effectuated by these agreements was the one from NITA to Next Plateau Records,” wrote the judge. “And the statutory text in Section 203 is clear: plaintiffs can only terminate copyright transfers that they executed. They cannot terminate a copyright grant executed by NITA. As a result, plaintiffs do not plausibly allege a claim for declaratory relief.”
A UMG spokesperson told Billboard the company is “gratified that the court dismissed this baseless lawsuit,” adding they remain “open and willing to find a resolution to the matter.”
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB.COM: Salt-N-Pepa Call Out Music Industry Over Masters Dispute
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