The Gap Band drops lawsuit over “Uptown Funk” royalties
Written by ABC Audio. All rights reserved. on April 25, 2023
The Gap Band has dropped their lawsuit against BMG.
Back in January, the family of band members Ronnie J. Wilson and Robert Lynn Wilson sued the label, claiming they were owed back royalties from the Mark Ronson/Bruno Mars hit “Uptown Funk.” The band is credited as co-writers on the song because it samples their 1979 single “Oops Upside Your Head,” and a 2015 deal gave them a 3.4 percent stake in its profits.
The suit claimed that BMG “failed and refused” to pay them royalties, accusing the label of keeping the money “for its own benefit and enjoyment” or “wrongfully” diverting the money elsewhere. BMG has always maintained the allegations were without merit, and now the families have dropped their suit against the label.
BMG says they paid no settlement or money to get them to drop the suit, adding they take “seriously its commitment to treat artists fairly and transparently and its reputation for doing so.”
Regarding The Gap Band, the label says they “are proud to represent many of their music publishing and recording rights.”
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