Overview
- U.S. District Judge Denise Cote granted Universal Music Group’s motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim in the Southern District of New York.
- The order states none of the cited agreements show Cheryl “Salt” James or Sandra “Pepa” Denton ever owned the master recordings.
- Contracts identified Noise in the Attic (NITA) as the party to the Next Plateau deal, so the duo cannot terminate a grant executed by NITA under §203.
- UMG called the lawsuit baseless, said it had tried to resolve the matter and improve compensation, and indicated it remains open to a resolution.
- The artists filed termination notices in 2022 and later said their songs were removed from streaming services, while their representatives did not immediately comment on the ruling.