According to various new sources, Paul McCartney has filed suit against Sony in what could be one of the most important legal battles in history.
“Paul McCartney has today filed a lawsuit in federal court in New York against Sony/ATV to confirm his ownership in his U.S. reversionary copyrights – which are granted to him by U.S. copyright law – in the songs he wrote with John Lennon and recorded with the Beatles,” a McCartney spokesperson tells Pitchfork.
According to the Copyright Act, tracks written before 1978 – which include all of the Beatles’ output – revert back to the composers after 56 years. His earliest work with Lennon would become available in 2018, then continue reverting yearly through the anniversary of the Beatles’ dissolution in 2025.
TMZ first reported that McCartney had filed “legal docs” to force Sony/ATV’s hand. “McCartney’s tried numerous times to get confirmation Sony will transfer the rights without a fight,” TMZ said, “but says he kept getting the run around.”
Sony/ATV issued a statement tonight saying the company has “the highest respect for Sir Paul McCartney, with whom we have enjoyed a long and mutually rewarding relationship with respect to the treasured Lennon and McCartney song catalog. We have collaborated closely with both Sir Paul and the late John Lennon’s estate for decades to protect, preserve and promote the catalog’s long-term value. We are disappointed that they have filed this lawsuit which we believe is both unnecessary and premature.”
