Tame Impala allegedly swindled out of $1m
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Feels like we only go backwards … Tame Impala claims it has been ripped off $ 1 million in royalties.
Source: News Limited
TAME Impala are at the centre of a messy legal dispute — with allegations suggesting the Aussie band could be almost $ 1 million out of pocket in royalties.
The saga began when BMG Rights Management, which publish the band’s songs, filed papers in the US Federal Court accusing Aussie record label boss Steve “Pav” Pavlovic, his label Modular Recordings, and the label’s partner Universal Music Australia of owing $ 575,000 ($ US450,000) in unpaid royalties.
The Australian now reports another $ US350,000 to $ US400,000 in royalties on overseas sales could also be in dispute — meaning the band’s frontman Kevin Parker could be close to $ 1 million out of pocket.
In the papers, BMG, which owns the rights to Tame Impala’s songs, claims it entered into an agreement with Modular in March last year.
The deal gave licence for Modular to distribute the recordings on the condition that the Aussie label reported and paid royalties to BMG every quarter.
BMG claims the payments were never made and it is now seeking $ 450,000.
Steve Pavlovic is in a legal tussle with BMG over the royalties.
Source: Supplied
Universal has distanced itself from both the allegations and Mr Pavlovic, rejecting claims it entered into the deal with BMG and claiming a separate company founded by Mr Pavlovic is responsible.
“Mr Pavlovic, who is no longer employed by Modular Recordings, has confirmed that this matter has nothing to do with Universal Music Australia or Modular Recordings in Australia,” Universal wrote in a statement to Billboard.
“Universal Music Australia and Modular Recordings are confident that the claim against them is baseless and will be withdrawn or dismissed by the court.”
Mr Pavlovic’s law firm, Levitt Robinson, has since released a statement saying, “An America-based company owned by Mr Pavlovic” did have the licence for Tame Impala’s recordings until about January last year. Levitt Robinson claims Universal Music Group then “assumed” both the distribution and “liability to pay the mechanical royalties”.
“Mr Pavlovic accepts that his American company was responsible for the payment of royalties for the period that his company was distributing the Tame Impala works in the USA, but not for the period since Universal Music Group began distributing those works,” the statement continues.
“It is not clear at this stage whether BMG is claiming any unpaid royalties relating to the period in which Mr Pavlovic’s company was distributing Tame Impala records.”
The statement puts the blame on Universal, stating “no Tame Impala royalties have been paid at all” since Universal took over the agreement, and states that Mr Pavlovic “does not accept liability for any failure by Universal Music Group or its subsidiaries to make royalty payments to BMG”.
Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker revealed last month he hasn’t received royalties for international sales.
Source: No Source
The dispute follows an explosive revelation made by Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker last month in a Reddit AMA, when he claimed he’s never received royalties for his music sold internationally.
“You want to know a story?” he wrote.
“Up until recently, from all of Tame Impala’s record sales outside of Australia I had received … zero dollars. Someone high up spent the money before it got to me. I may never get that money.”
Mr Pavlovic founded Modular Recordings in 1998. The label is responsible for launching the careers of The Presets and Wolfmother.
