Here comes the Son-y/ATV legal action: Paul McCartney steps up bid for Beatles rights
All you need is love. Unless you’re Sir Paul McCartney, who also wants to get back the rights to some of his most famous songs.
Yesterday, the Beatle filed a lawsuit in New York against Sony/ATV to regain the copyrights to songs including Hey Jude and the Long and Winding Road.
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According to the Rolling Stone magazine, the action is intended to confirm McCartney’s ownership, which his lawyers believe matches US copyright law.
The legal team, citing the 1976 Copyright Act, reportedly said rights to songs created before 1978 must be returned to the creators 56 years after the original copyright date.
In this case, 2018 is 56 years after McCartney and John Lennon began writing songs together in 1962.
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Sony/ATV told the magazine in a statement:
We have collaborated closely with both Sir Paul and the late John Lennon's estate for decades to protect, preserve and promote the catalogue's long-term value. We are disappointed that they have filed this lawsuit which we believe is both unnecessary and premature.