The Universal Music Group (UMG) has settled a UK lawsuit with a representative for English rock band King Crimson over royalties for Kanye West’s ‘Power’ song.
UMG was hit with legal action in 2022 in the English High Court over allegedly failing to pay royalties over West’s 2010 song ‘Power’. The song had used a sample of the 1969 song ’21st Century Schizoid Man’ by King Crimson.
The claimant in this case was City-based Declan Colgan Music, the owner of the mechanical licence for the ’21st Century Schizoid Man’ song, which launched the legal action against UMG.
The record company UMG owns and operates a record label business known as The Island Def Jam Music Group, a division of which US rapper Kanye West (now Ye) was signed as an artist.
The US rapper was not involved in the dispute, only his song was the target of the legal action. However, as UMG is the overall holder of the rights to this song, the record giant was the target of the claim.
For its case, Declan Colgan Music had instructed City-based boutique law firm Clintons, while the record label called on music-focused law firm Russells for its defence.
However, in the week the case was due to go to trial in the High Court, the parties reached a settlement agreement on Monday, according to a court order.
The High Court signed off on a consent order which concluded that there shall be no order on the claim or as to costs. The details of the settlement were not disclosed, but Variety reports that Declan Colgan Music received payment as part of the agreement.
UMG declined to comment on the matter.
The award winning artist Ye has been controversial figures recently as the failed US president candidate has been criticised for making a series of antisemitic statements in 2022. These led to the German brand Adidas terminating his ‘Yeezy’ brand. Even the defendant UMG terminated its relationship with him at the end of 2022.