Hip-hop icons Salt-N-Pepa are on a mission! Fresh off the press, the Grammy-winning duo has just filed an appeal after a court dismissed their case against Universal Music Group (UMG) concerning the copyrights to their master recordings. It all went down at the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit on February 5.
This showdown started when a judge, on January 8, said that Salt-N-Pepa, aka Cheryl James and Sandra Denton, didn't actually own the copyrights to their legendary jams. But don't drop the mic just yet—these trailblazers have teamed up with star lawyer Richard S. Busch to turn the tables.
The heart of the drama? Whether Salt-N-Pepa can snatch back ownership of their iconic hits like 'Push It' from UMG under a fancy rule called Section 203 of the Copyright Act. This rule says artists can reclaim copyrights they handed over, but only 35 years later. With the clock ticking, Salt-N-Pepa served UMG their notice in March 2022, eyeing May 15, 2024, to reclaim their tunes.
Back in 1986, when they were just starting to 'Push It', they inked a deal with Noise In The Attic Productions, run by their producer, Hurby Azor. However, the rights hopped from Noise In The Attic to Next Plateau Records—UMG’s predecessor. The duo didn’t sign the full agreements, but they did approve an 'inducement letter'. They thought it secured them rights, but the judge said 'nope'.
Judge Cote’s January ruling said, 'The artists never held those copyrights to begin with'. But Salt-N-Pepa argue they should be able to retrieve what’s rightfully theirs. Universal plays it cool, claiming they tried to settle without fuss long before things got legal. But the fierce artists say the battle's just getting started!
Stay tuned as Salt-N-Pepa refuse to let go of their music legacy without a fight! 🎤💥