 Beatles Group: Sue to block unreleased recordings
Lawyers for the Beatles Group has filed a lawsuit on Friday to prevent the distribution of unreleased recordings made during their first performance in 1962.
The dispute between Beatles Group's Apple Corps Ltd. and Fuego Entertainment Inc. of Miami Lakes stems from recordings the Fab Four apparently made during a performance at the Star Club in Hamburg, Germany.
The lawsuit states that Fuego does not have permission to sell the fifteen-song because at the time of the recording the Beatles Group had already entered into an exclusive contract with EMI prohibiting the third party recordings of their concerts.
There are eight unreleased songs among the recordings, including Paul McCartney singing Hank Williams' "Lovesick Blues" and McCartney and John Lennon singing "Ask Me Why".
Apple Corps claims that the songs were taped without the consent of the Beatles Group and that Fuego and sister companies Echo-Fuego Music Group LLC and Echo-Vista Inc. have no right to distribute them.
Paul LiCalsi, an attorney for Apple Corps said, "This appears to us to be a garden-variety bootleg recording".
In reply, Fuego Entertainment claims that the recordings were legally made. Fuego president Hugo Cancio said, "Don't claim that these were just bootlegged. It's not like today, that you just go in with a phone or a blackberry and you record".
Apple Corps is seeking an injunction against the posting of the recording and at least $15 million in actual and puntitive damages, as the lawsuit claims the Beatles Group have been “exploited” by Fuego Entertainment.
Fuego president Cancio said, "I'm surprised because up to a few weeks ago, we were in good-faith conversations with Apple".
Also named in the lawsuit is Jeffrey Collins, a partner of Cancio who obtained the recordings. But it's not clear, how Collins obtained the recordings.
Cancio intended to release the songs as "Jammin' with The Beatles Groups and Friends, Star Club, Hamburg, 1962". |
News / Gossips by BBubbles4You
