Copyright battle over Marley music goes to London court

KINGSTON, Jamaica — A case involving copyright issues regarding some songs by international Reggae icon Bob Marley is set for the Chancery Division of the High Court in London on Tuesday, May 13.

Being described as “the landmark trial” by Music-news.com, those involved are plaintiff Cayman Music, and Chris Blackwell’s Blue Mountain Music, the defendant.

According to music-news.com, “The trial is over a number of important titles, the most significant of which is ‘No Woman, No Cry’, Bob Marley’s most famous song”.

Cayman Music is reportedly suing Blue Mountain Music for “misattribution and diversion of income”, among other things, to retrieve ‘No Woman, No Cry’ and other songs such as ‘Crazy Baldhead’; ‘Johnny Was’; ‘Natty Dread’; ‘Rastaman Vibration’; ‘Rat Race’; ‘Rebel Music (Road Block)’; ‘So Jah Seh’; ‘Them Belly Full’; ‘Want More’; ‘War’; ‘Who the Cap Fit’.

The website said Cayman Music is the “original, long-standing publishers of Bob Marley” and that they represented his catalogue from 1967 to 1976.

The defendants are the “then publishing arm of Island Records and sometime publisher of various Bob Marley titles, from the mid 1970s to later in his career”, the website added.

Both publishers still retain some of Bob Marley’s work today. Marley returned to ex-manager Danny Sims (who owned Cayman) prior to his death, the website also said.

source: jamaia obserer