Metal Anarchy

According to Rolling Stone, Universal Music Group are currently seeking to dismiss the lawsuit that was filed against them by Limp Bizkit’s Fred Durst. The label also claimed that the complaint is “based on a fallacy.”

Durst previously said the label owed the band over $200 million in unpaid royalties. He also accused them of using a “systemic” and “fraudulent” policy that was “deliberately designed” to hide royalties from artists.

Durst also claimed Limp Bizkit “never received any royalties from UMG” despite their success and millions of record sales. This extends to their ongoing resurgence in popularity.

Durst’s representatives eventually contacted UMG and discovered that Limp Bizkit had $1 million in royalties, but the label “failed to alert” them. This raised more red flags about “UMG’s accounting and payment practices.” Upon further investigation, they also found out that “UMG failed to issue any royalty statements for a number of accounting periods.”

UMG claimed the band were paid $43 million in recoupable advances, which is why it took so long to see money coming into their accounts. The label have since released $1.03 million to the band and $2.3 million to Durst’s Flawless Records, but they believe they are owed much more.

As such, UMG have since responded. Rolling Stone shared a summary of their argument for dismissal:

“UMG said that the dispute started with a director at the company reaching out to Limp Bizkit‘s manager over email seeking to set up a vendor profile so the band could get their recording royalties. The business manager had told the UMG director that most of the band members had sold off their royalty shares, but over a year later, he emailed again, clarifying he was referring to publishing royalties, not the recordings. UMG said the email communications, which they included in their reply, ‘eviscerate’ the fraud claims.”

The label went on to say that the $1.03 million paid to the band and $2.3 million paid to Flawless Records covered the “outstanding royalties and profits” owed. However, Limp Bizkit’s representatives have since fired back:

“When someone is caught red handed, their first response is often to hire very expensive outside law firms who first, as a matter of course, try anything to dismiss the suit when they are in trouble with the facts. In this case, we believe UMG is using a typical, formulaic, well-trodden strategy of reaching for any escape route by desperately grasping at technicalities. We will rely on facts, the law, and the courts. We have no desire to prove a solid case in press releases.”

Durst was previously seeking unpaid royalties, while also trying to get Limp Bizkit‘s contract with the label voided. He also wanted the copyrights to the band’s recordings and damages related to copyright infringement.