So there is another lawsuit in HipHop, it seems that Dr. Dre is suing Death Row Records $3 million in royalties for material he worked on when he was on the label. According to the documents, Dr. Dre believes that the Chapter 11 trustee intends to sell the copyrights and in the past month has solicited bids from potential buyers
According to Radar Online:
“The producer says that he is owed $1,200,386.57 in unpaid artist-producer royalties, $1,179,913 from digital sales and $676,444.44 for unpaid mechanical royalties. The digital sales amount is based on a judge’s suggestion after Dr. Dre lost a 2010 trademark infringement suit.”
According to Billboard.com:
Dr. Dre is asking the L.A. bankruptcy court to declare that the 1992 and 1996 agreements have been rescinded and compel Death Row and the trustee to restore the copyrights to him. He’s also asking that the label and trustee be made to pay him restitution for all revenue Death Row received from its use of the copyrights.
Dr. Dre also wants the court to issue a permanent injunction that would bar the defendants from offering the copyrights for sale without his written consent. “If not enjoined, the trustee will proceed to accept a bid, and seek bankruptcy court approval to sell the copyrights accordingly,” the lawsuit states.
Dr Dre stated that the Death Row label did not honor a bonus that would bump his royalty rate to 20 % from 18 %. It seems that Dr.Dre is not playing, he wants his money. In March 1996 Dr. Dre agreed to let go 50 percent of his ownership interest in Death Row Records. In that same 1996 agreement, Dr. Dre also agreed to fork over the copyrights to the album on the condition he continue receiving royalties
Dr. Dre released his solo album, 1992’s ‘The Chronic’, while on Death Row Records.
Marion “Suge”Knight left Death Row Records in 1996 and Death Row Records was taken over in 2006 by WIDEawake Death Row Entertainment.
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