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Rapper Dr. Dre loses claims against former label
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Rapper Dr. Dre has been feuding with Death Row Records since his former record label was bought out of bankruptcy last year. The new entity, WIDEawake Death Row Records, put out a new version of his iconic album "The Chronic," as well as a greatest hits collection, without his permission.
Dr. Dre -- real name Andre Young -- sued in February.
On Monday, a California district court tossed his claims that Death Row's release of "The Chronic Re-Lit" violated his rights of trademark and publicity. However, the judge allowed another claim -- that he hasn't been paid royalties since splitting from Death Row in 1996 -- to be heard.
Dr. Dre argued that Death Row suggested he endorsed the new albums, particularly in the way it placed his name and likeness on the cover. Death Row countered that it didn't substantially modify the substance of "The Chronic" in any way other than giving it sonic clarity and a slightly louder volume.
The nature of this dispute is informed by the casual way that Dr. Dre created "The Chronic" in the early 1990s. When he formed Death Row Records in 1991, he orally granted the label a non-exclusive license to release sound recordings. The following year, he made another oral agreement to the same effect over "The Chronic" in exchange for an 18 percent royalty rate.
Then, in 1996, he left Death Row, disclaiming his ownership interest in both the company and the sound recordings in exchange for both the previous-agreed-upon royalty rate and a promise not to distribute any of his songs except "in the manners heretofore distributed."
In analyzing the case, California District Court Judge Christina Snyder applied the so-called "Monty Python" rule, after a 1976 case where a defendant extensively edited the TV comedy series in order to broadcast it on television. The question was whether the changes to Dr. Dre's album were more than "cosmetic."
Snyder ruled the alterations were "minor and inconsequential." She also pointed out that the image used on the cover jacket is the same photograph from the original album, instead of a more current photo, which may have gone further to imply some new endorsement.
Dr. Dre will have to settle for going after the new iteration of Death Row on the money he alleges is owed to him
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Then, in 1996, he left Death Row, disclaiming his ownership interest in both the company and the sound recordings in exchange for both the previous-agreed-upon royalty rate and a promise not to distribute any of his songs except "in the manners heretofore distributed." About that last stipulation... how does WIDEawake now get away with releasing "previously unreleased" vault material Dre produced? I have a Snoop Dogg "Lost Sessions" CD of vault material that WIDEawake put out that has Dre's voice and production but wasn't released prior to his 1996 exit.
http://www.amazon.ca/Chro...B002IVLWQK
I see that instead of a normal re-re-mastered* re-issue with original cover art, the WIDEawake release has altered cover art, and a DVD with bonus videos and songs.
*remember most of the albums were already "Digitally Remastered" after Dre had left but Suge was still in charge. | |
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why do i have a feeling that he signed alot of things away and now he is re-thinking what he did since ownership has changed hands "We went where our music was appreciated, and that was everywhere but the USA, we knew we had fans, but there is only so much of the world you can play at once" Magne F | |
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Yeah, same here.
Something funny with royalty money sounds like something that always needs to be straightened out, especially when the artist has left the label or the label has changed ownership. | |
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The defense is right though... the only thing that got a remix was the cover art. In the end, they aren't really messing with the music he made.
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I know some folks at WideAWAKE and they are actually fully committed to doing the best job possible as far as re-releasing/remastering the Death Row material.
"The Chronic Re-Lit" is incredible. Great remastering job. Great packaging. Great liner notes from QD3. Great unseen photos. Great DVD with videos and footage of Dre in the studio.
He should be happy that they did such a great job with it. |
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moderatorAny deal where you orally grant the label a non-exclusive license to release sound recordings doesn't sound right.
Wipe things up and get everything in writing. [Edited 6/13/10 14:48pm] "The first time I saw the cover of Dirty Mind in the early 80s I thought, 'Is this some drag queen ripping on Freddie Prinze?'" - Some guy on The Gear Page | |
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Without the approval of the original artist? C'me on, son. You know that's not cool no matter how well of a job they do. | |
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I was looking at what was on the DVD and wondering what the hell any of it had to do with The Chronic or its era? | |
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So far, I just have my original CD from 1993. | |
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Dre knew that they didn't need his approval.
I don't see Snoop complaining about the unreleased material they put out of his!
And The Chronic is an album that's been out for 20 years. Plus, it's not like Dre can do it himself - he doesn't own the rights.
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Especially when he isn't being compensated for it either. That's crazy to say that he should be happy with the job they did with HIS work that they didn't have permission to release. I will forever love and miss you...my sweet Prince. | |
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Speakin of WideAwake, they were gonna put out a 2pac album of unreleased material (in its original format, no remixes and shit) this month for his birthday (June 16th). But looks like they had a change of plans cause now they're putting out Crooked I's Hood Star album. Im pretty sure 2pac's estate put the breaks on that project. | |
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He is being compensated, under the royalty rate HE agreed to when he left Death Row. And they DO have permission to release it. They own that record.
The claim regarding him not being paid royalties since 1996 should be a claim against Suge - he's the one that would have taken that money and ran off with it. I don't know enough about the law to say, but I guess maybe WideAWAKE inherited Death Row's debts when they bought the company? I'm not sure why Dre waited until Death Row went bankrupt and had to be sold, before he sued.
Wrong. Amaru and Death Row/WideAWAKE are working on the album together. And it will come out. WideAWAKE is going through some legal stuff with their former CEO, Lara Lavi, right now. That's what's delayed the new 'Pac album. |
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Are you the same Militant from Streephop.com? | |
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Now that would be worth copping. You know I never trusted any releases since Makaveli to be how 2pac wanted the shit to really sound. | |
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When I read "oral agreement" and Suge Knight in the same topic...I could only imagine how that negotiation went down...lol | |
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You are so nasty!!!! | |
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I didnt really mind them changing some of the beats (since some samples probably couldnt get cleared) and having the Outlawz finish incomplete tracks, but when they started doing the fake collaborations with today's artists and using Pac's words to "shout them out", I had had enough. Hopefully they will put that out the album with the originals.
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YES!!! "We may deify or demonize them but not ignore them. And we call them genius, because they are the people who change the world." |
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Yeah, but I haven't used this screenname over there for years. Can't change it here, unfortunately. |
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Yeah I used to post over there when it was Hitemup.com under the name "Knightrydah". Those were the days. | |
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This was a question for those who copped Re-Lit... | |
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