Courtney Love’s contract dispute dealt a blow
ByMay 30, 2002 10:00 PM
A judge has thrown out a key pillar in Courtney Love’s suit against her record label, and has also set a trial date for the legal challenge.
A judge has thrown out a key pillar in Courtney Love’s suit against her record label, and has also set a trial date for the legal challenge.
Love is pursuing a breach-of-contract suit against Geffen Records, now a part of the Universal Music Group. She filed the suit--which also claims fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and other charges--after Geffen sued Love and her band Hole for failing to deliver albums as their contract stipulated.
Love’s suit also argued that the recording industry’s exception to California’s “seven-year statute,” which limits personal contracts to seven years and allows record companies to sue artists for damages, is unconstitutional. In a Wednesday (5/29) decision, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Fumiko Wasserman dismissed that portion of Love’s case.
Fifteen claims were included in Love’s initial suit, five of which have been dismissed by judges. Despite the setback, Love’s attorney A. Barry Capello remained optimistic.
“When we first filed this case, many prognosticators in the music industry said Courtney’s suit was frivolous and shrugged it off,” he said in a statement. “I doubt they feel the same way now. The judge reviewed all of Vivendi Universal’s arguments and let the key claims stand. It tried everything it could to get this case thrown out, but it failed. We’re ready for trial.”
A Universal Music Group spokesperson reportedly told Reuters, “We find it amazing that even in defeat Courtney Love attempts to claim victory. All that is left is a ‘garden variety’ contractual dispute, which pales in comparison to Universal’s damages claim for Hole’s failure to deliver the albums promised under their contract.”
The judge ordered the two sides to meet in court with a state-appointed mediator on June 10. If the parties aren’t able to hammer out a settlement, a trial will begin the next day.