The Turtles were a popular group in the 60s, churning out hits like “Happy Together” and “She’d Rather be With Me.” Recently, Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman (Flo and Eddie) were awarded $25 million dollars in a songwriting licensee dispute with a well-known satellite carrier. Here are a few more lawsuits that will turn your head…
Stevie Wonder was sued by Susan Stack, the widow of his late lawyer Johanan Vigoda, for unpaid royalties she felt she was owed, even after her husband’s death. Stevie’s defense (we’re not making this up) was, that because he is blind, he was unable to accurately read the agreement that she quoted. The judge threw out the suit, giving Stevie the win.
The estate of Marvin Gaye successfully sued Robin Thicke for his infringement of the Gaye song “Got to Give It Up.”
Vanilla Ice was sued by Queen and David Bowie for his allegedly lifting the hook from their tune “Under Pressure.”
Ray Parker Jr.’s “Ghostbusters” song sounded a great deal like “I Want a New Drug” by Huey Lewis. The parties settled out of court.
—
Photo credit: s_bukley / Shutterstock.com