George Clinton Music Ownership Fight Sends Rival Labels to Trial

Bridgeport Music Inc.'s move to assert ownership over part of funk musician George Clinton‘s catalog faces a trial after a district court found none of the submitted evidence could prove as a matter of law who owns the music.

However, defendant TufAmerica Inc. ran out of time to affirmatively claim copyright infringement and seek damages because it never sued before Bridgeport sought a declaration on who owned six of Clinton’s songs more than six years after TufAmerica says it acquired rights to the music, Judge Paul G. Gardephe said Wednesday.

TufAmerica says that in 2011 it bought the rights ...