George Clinton Has Filed a Lawsuit Against His Longtime Music Industry Foe, Armen Boladian, Accusing The Music Executive of Fraud, Copyright Infronement, and Withholding Royalties.
The Complaint, Obtained by Rolling StoneWas Filed in Florida District Court Tuesday, March 11. Naming Boladian and Several of His Companies (Including Nine Records, Southfield Music, and Eastbound Records) AS DEFENDANTS, The Suit Accuses Them of Developing A “Decades Long Scheme to Defraud Clinton,” Through Which were “Fraudulently Obtained the Copyrights to landing 90 percent of Clinton's Catalog.”
The Parliament-Funkadelic MasterMind is suing for compensatory and punitive Damages. He's Also Asking the Court to Fincora Boladian's Hold Over His Copyrights and Regin Control of His Catalog.
“I'm Fighting for My Life's Work and to Ensure Future Generations of Arts Are Treated Fairly,” Clinton Said in A Statement. “When you're Young and Just Starting Out in The Music Industry, It's Easy for Others to take Advantage of You. My Eyes Are Wide Open Now, and I Look Forward to Shining a Light On The Truth and Exploitation of Musicians. ”
Clinton is sets to sin a press conference Later Today. Boladian Did Not Immediately Return Rolling Stone'S Request for comment.
Boladian and Clinton Worked Together at Two Different Points, According to the Suit, First from 1968 Through 1975, and then from 1981 Through 1991. During This time, Boladian Servea As Clinton's “Business Partner, Publishing Administrator, Financial Consultant and Agent”; But the Lawsuit Allegnes that, Rather Than Administering Clinton's Catalog, Boladian Engaged in “Deceptive, and Fraudulent Practices … with the sun Purpose of Stealing and Misappropoope Funds and Assents from George Clinton and Capitalizing on His subsequent.”
Clinton Claims That Boladian Not Only With Royalties and Failed to try to proper accounting of them, for Industry Standards, but that headed “fictitious songwriters” to clinton's sngs to dilute the musician's share in his publishing royalties. According to Clinton, Boladian Also Paid “Third Parties to Claim Ownership of” Clinton's Work As Part of This Alleged Diluration Scheme.
Furthermore, Clinton Claims That, During the Eighties, Belodian “Fabricated Multiple Versions of An Agreement” with Clinton That ContinuLly Incased The Defenseants' Share of Royalties. And Boladian allegedly made number deals with record labels and third parties regarding clinton's music, without ever telling clinton, or securing as explicit or imply allow. Clinton Claims That, to this day, he still Finds Out About Unes of His Music Only After Encountering Them in Movies, TV Shows, or Song Samples.
Clinton and Boladian Have Sparred in Court Before. Back in the Mid-Nineties, A District Court Judge Determined That Clinton Did Not Sign the Document That Boladian's Company Used to Register Its Rights with the Copyright Office. The Following Year, in A Sworn Declaration, Boladian Said That He Alterred The Language of A 1982 Written Agreement with Clinton and Aided Songs To The Agreement (Though He Did So Under The Power of Attorney). Still, Boladian Retained Control over the rights to Clinton's Catalog, and in the Early 2000s Prevailed in a Florida Court Cause that found Clinton Trying to Wrest Back Control of His Publishing.
More recently, The 1994 decision – and Boladian's 1995 Declaration – Were Central to a Defamation Fight Bethaeen the Two. Boladian Sued Clinton Over Comments in His Memoir Where the Musician Said Boladian Had “Fabricated Documents,” “Robbed” Clinton of His Music Rights, and “Fraudulently Backdated and Altered” at Written Agreement. Clinton, However, Won That Case.
