George Clinton Goes To Court...Again

[Crenshaw_blvd]

Funk legend George Clinton has begun legal action against Armen Boladian and his company Bridgeport Music Inc. in a quest for damages because of a wrongful eviction. Clinton's latest suit is the most recent chapter in a legal tug-of-war between the two parties.

In 1996, a Michigan judge ruled that the Parliament/Funkadelic leader signed away rights to his material in 1982 when he agreed to a contract with publisher Bridgeport Music. The ruling, which forced Clinton to forfeit all monies made from that music, also said he could no longer make a profit from the material in question. At that time, Clinton was living on a farm owned by Boladian, who successfully fought to make Clinton responsible for in back rent. Clinton defended his stance by saying that while he never had a signed contract with Boladian, there did exist a verbal contract wherein royalty money would be used to pay the rent owed.

With this latest suit, Clinton's camp is demanding Boladian turn over all financial documents associated with the music in question. Clinton's attorneys believe they have a strong enough case to argue that if there was a verbal agreement that let the singer live on the farm instead of receiving royalties, then he is due money from those songs since he is no longer living on the farm--either that, or that Clinton was wrongfully evicted from the residence.

James "Diamond" Williams, a member of the Ohio Players who has worked with Clinton on several occasions, tells it's a shame that the law is not on the artist's side. "It's a tremendous story as far as artists that came out in our genre and age category, as far as the writing of music. When you think about it, when a record company gives you even $100,000 or $200,000 to create something, and you sell a million albums or even more--and they are able to own and contain that music, for now, a period of 35 years--when does one pay enough back for just the small amount lent? I don't know," he says.

The lawyers for both camps are scheduled to meet again in three months to discuss this latest battle in the ongoing legal war.

[Sikotic™]

Damn Armenians stealing G. Clinton's shit