SoundExchange Sues Slacker

• SoundExchange has filed suit in the United States District Court for the Central District of California against Slacker, Inc. and its parent company LiveOne, Inc. to recover unpaid royalties owed to performers and rights owners.

According to the SoundExchange release, “In 2017, Slacker stopped paying statutory royalties to creators whose recordings it was using. SoundExchange has been in negotiations with Slacker since that time to resolve their outstanding balance, but Slacker has failed to meet the terms to which the parties agreed. SoundExchange is now filing a complaint for breach of contract and underpayment of statutory royalties.”

Michael Huppe, Pres. & CEO of SoundExchange, remarked, “By refusing to pay royalties for the use of protected sound recordings, Slacker and LiveOne have directly harmed creators over the years. Today, SoundExchange is taking a stand through necessary legal action to protect the value of music and ensure creators are compensated fairly for their work. We hope Slacker and LiveOne will promptly reverse course and pay what they owe for the use of recordings that drive the value of their service.”