The Jesus and Mary Chain is suing Warner Music Group over alleged copyright infringement.
The suit, which was filed Monday, accuses the recording company of violating the so-called “35-year law,” a section of the U.S. Copyright Act that allows musicians to reclaim the rights of their recordings from record labels 35 years after their initial release.
Under this provision, JAMC tried to terminated Warner Music Group’s rights to their 1985 debut album Psychocandy, but the suit alleges that WMG has refused the band’s efforts.
In a statement, JAMC’s lawyer says, “In this case against WMG, the label has refused to acknowledge the validity of any of the Notices of Termination served by The Jesus and Mary Chain, and has completely disregarded band’s ownership rights.”
“Despite the law returning the U.S. rights to the band, WMG is continuing to exploit those recordings and thereby willfully infringing upon our clients’ copyrights,” the statement continues. “This behavior must stop. The legal issues in this suit are of paramount importance to the music industry.”
The suit is seeking $2.55 million in statutory damages.
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