2 Live Crew urges US judge to dismiss lawsuit seeking to block a termination right claim
Members of 2 Live Crew have called on a US judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed against them by Florida-based Lil Joe Records and to confirm that they can terminate a 1980s record deal and reclaim the rights in all the recordings released under that deal.The music under dispute was originally released by Luke Records, the label run by 2 Live Crew member Luther Campbell. They were then acquired by Lil Joe Records – along with other copyrights and trademarks controlled by the group – in 1996 when both Campbell and Luke Records went bankrupt.Under US copyright law, if a creator assigns – so transfers – a copyright to a business partner, that assignment can be terminated 35 years later, allowing the creator to reclaim their rights.