- The estates of Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell, former members of the Jimi Hendrix Experience, lost a High Court battle against Sony Music Entertainment UK (SMEUK) over copyright and performers’ rights for the band’s 1960s recordings.
- The legal action sought a declaration of entitlement to shares in the ownership of copyrights for approximately 40 studio recordings and rights related to the performances, along with an inquiry into potential outstanding payments.
- Mr Justice Edwin Johnson dismissed the claims, citing a "clear and unequivocal" clause in the original recording agreement that granted copyright to the producers, not the musicians.
- The judge also found that previous releases signed by Mr Redding and Mr Mitchell, acknowledging "full settlement of any compensation," precluded the estates' claims.
- Despite arguments that the musicians "died in relative poverty" while the recordings remain a "lucrative source of revenue," the judge stated he had to construe the 1966 agreement as it was entered into, noting its terms may have been unfair to the band members.
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