California’s highest court must decide whether the Turtles, a 1960’s pop band, can force Pandora Media Inc. to pay royalties under that state’s law for playing its biggest hit, “Happy Together,” and other oldies, a federal appeals court held March 15.
The owners of the copyrights in the Turtles’ hits are asking courts around the country whether owners of rights in pre-1972 sound recordings can demand payment when the records are played.
In the California version of the case, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit certified the royalties question to the California Supreme Court (Flo & Eddie, Inc. v. Pandora Media, Inc., 9th Cir., 15-55287, questions certified 3/15/17