Pink Floyd Win EMI Court Battle
Label will be paying a big fine to the band for selling tracks online without band\'s permission
Pink Floyd have won their court case against EMI, who are now likely to be forced to pay a big fine relating to back-dated royalties.
In a ruling today a judge at the High Court in London ruled that EMI were wrong to sell individual tracks from the band’s back catalogue on online stores such as iTunes. The band had signed a contract in 1998 that meant that EMI could not release songs independent of their album.
EMI contested that the contract only related to physical releases but the High Court today agreed with the band who said that the contract signed prior to the download boom covered online sales.
EMI have been told to pay £40,000 to the band with a further fine to be decided by the judge at a later date. The label is also now no longer allowed to sell individual Floyd tracks without the band’s permission.