Law360 covered Manatt’s win for UMG Recordings in a royalties battle over a Justin Timberlake song. Robert Jacobs, co-chair of the firm’s entertainment, sports and media litigation practice, represented UMG in the copyright suit.
Three members of the band Sly, Slick & Wicked had filed the suit over the early 1970s track, “Sho’ Nuff,” which was sampled in 2013 in Timberlake’s “Suit & Tie.”
Jacobs and his team, in the motion to dismiss, argued that the song and voice performances in it have been used by the companies and their predecessors for decades since the music was recorded. A New York federal judge tossed the suit, explaining that the copyright ownership claims were brought too late.
In addition to Jacobs, the team included associates Maura Gierl and Jessamyn Vedro.
Read the article here.