Pink Floyd Fights Label EMI over Royalties

(AP)  Pink Floyd has begun legal action against music label EMI Group Ltd. over the way royalty payments are calculated in the digital era.

The group's lawyer, Robert Howe, told the High Court that the band was disputing the way royalties for online sales are worked out.

He said the group also wants a ruling on whether EMI can sell tracks "unbundled" from their original albums.

Howe said the band's contract prohibits selling tracks "otherwise than in the original configuration of the Pink Floyd albums." EMI claims the rule applies only to physical albums, not the Internet.

Pink Floyd signed with EMI in 1967 and became one of its most lucrative acts.

Tuesday's hearing was the start of what is expected to be a lengthy legal battle.

[rwsmith29456]

Scumbag recording companies have been around forever. On the seventh day God created recording companies and looked at them and saw that they were bad, so he took a break instead.

[pete_in_az]

just another brick in the wall.

[brianbwb2011]

They are all scumbag companies, as is the RIAA, and the various publishing rights organizations.

They have made almost a billion dollars suing people for downloading songs, but the artists who created and own the songs have to sue them in turn to get their money.