Universal Music Group Backlot Fire Class Action Lawsuit Dismissed by Judge
A federal judge has dismissed a class action lawsuit against Universal Music Group over a 2008 warehouse fire that a New York Times Magazine report last year claimed destroyed up to 500,000 master recordings in the the record company's archive vaults.The class action lawsuit was initially filed June 21, 2019, in California with claims by Soundgarden, Steve Earle, Hole, the estate of Tupac Shakur and by Jane Petty, Tom Petty's ex-wife and heir to 50% of his recording agreements. The plaintiffs were seeking to recover half of any settlement proceeds and insurance payments, reportedly valued at $150 million, that UMG received due to the 2008 fire on the Universal Studios backlot in a confidential settlement, according to court papers.