Judge dismisses Salt-N-Pepa lawsuit against Universal Music Group
Salt-N-Pepa sued Universal Music Group last year over the rights to their music. However, a judge dismissed the lawsuit this week.
The legendary New York City trio, made up of Salt, Pepa, and Spinderella, claimed UMG were holding their music hostage.
The group claimed that the label violated the Copyright Act by not letting them have control of their music’s intellectual property 35 years after its release.
Universal filed a motion to dismiss, which US District Judge Denise Cote granted in the United States District Court – Southern District of New York on January 8th.
In a statement to Pitchfork, a UMG spokesperson wrote, “While we are gratified that the court dismissed this baseless lawsuit, it should never have been brought in the first place. Prior to this suit – and without any legal obligation to do so – we made multiple attempts to resolve the matter amicably, improve the artists’ compensation, and ensure that Salt-N-Pepa’s fans had access to their music.”
They continued, “Even with the court’s complete rejection of their claims, we remain open and willing to find a resolution to the matter and turn the page so we can focus our efforts on working together to amplify Salt-N-Pepa’s legacy for generations to come.”
Salt-N-Pepa were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in November and referenced the legal battle during their speech.
“As we celebrate this moment, fans can’t even stream our music,” Salt said. “It’s been taken down from all streaming platforms because the industry still doesn’t want to play fair.”
The group are best known for hit singles like ‘Shoop‘, ‘Push It’, and ‘Whatta Man’. They were the first female rap act to go platinum in the US with their debut album, Hot, Cool and Vicious.