Limp Bizkit is suing Universal Music Group (UMG) for allegedly failing to pay royalties.
In a lawsuit filed in a Los Angeles court on Tuesday, lawyers acting for the nu metal band and frontman Fred Durst claimed the music giant owes them more than $200 million (£152 million).
According to legal documents obtained by Billboard, Durst and his group had “not seen a dime in royalties” despite achieving mainstream success with albums including 1999’s Significant Other and 2000’s Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water.
Lawyers have accused bosses at UMG of implementing a “fraudulent” policy that withholds royalties from musicians in order to “keep those profits”.
“UMG’s creation of such a system, while holding itself out as a company that prides itself on investing in and protecting its artists, makes plaintiffs’ discovery of UMG’s scheme all the more appalling and unsettling,” the lawsuit reads.
In addition, Durst’s lawyers alleged “possibly hundreds of other artists” may be impacted by “wrongfully withheld” royalties.
Representatives for UMG have not yet responded to the allegations.
Elsewhere in the lawsuit, Durst noted he started preparing the complaint after hiring a new team last April.
His lawyers claimed that when the issue of allegedly unpaid royalties was initially raised with UMG managers, they explained this was due to Limp Bizkit being paid $43 million (£32 million) in recoupable advances.
Since then, Durst’s attorneys alleged UMG has paid $1 million (£760,000) to the band and $2.3 million (£1.7 million) to the 54-year-old’s Flawless Records label.
“Given the vast amounts of money collected by UMG in relation to sales of Limp Bizkit’s and Flawless Records’ albums over the years… UMG is liable to plaintiffs for tens of millions of dollars in copyright infringement, if not more,” the lawsuit continues. “Indeed, Plaintiffs allege that the amounts owed to them by UMG following the rescission of these agreements will easily surpass $200 million.”
In the lawsuit, Durst is seeking to recoup allegedly unpaid royalties as well as to void Limp Bizkit’s current contract with UMG. He is also wanting to receive the copyright to recordings and copyright infringement damages.
