George Clinton has filed a lawsuit against his former business partner Armen Boladian and his Bridgeport Music company. The Parliament-Funkadelic leader and funk legend accuses Boladian of fraudulently acquiring copyrights to about 90 percent of his catalog, and Clinton is suing for $100 million.
According to Clinton’s lawsuit, Boladian and Bridgeport — as well as Westbound Records, Nine Records, Southfield Music, and Eastbound Records — unlawfully profit off the funk musician’s work. He held a press conference outside of the Apollo Theatre to announce the suit, alongside his attorney Ben Crump and fellow counsel. Clinton says he intends to reclaim ownership of his catalog to provide generational wealth to his family.
“I’m fighting for my life’s work and to ensure future generations of artists are treated fairly,” Clinton said. “When you’re young and just starting out in the music industry, it’s easy for others to take advantage of you. My eyes are wide open now, and I look forward to shining a light on the truth and exploitation of musicians.”
“For decades, George Clinton has shaped the sound of music and inspired generations of artists, yet he has been systematically deprived of the rights and royalties he rightfully deserves,” Crump said. “This lawsuit is about holding accountable those who have built their wealth by exploiting the creativity of Black artists. The fraudulent actions detailed in this lawsuit are as egregious as they are disheartening, and it is past time for these wrongs to be righted.”
History
Clinton’s lawsuit claims that his longtime business partner, Boladian, withheld millions of dollars in royalties and engaged in deceptive and fraudulent practices throughout the years. Allegedly, between 1982 and 1985, Boladian fabricated multiple versions of agreements, designating additional rights to his catalog, adding fake names and pseudonyms to copyright registrations to dilute royalty shares.
“This is just the latest in a series of lawsuits that Mr. Clinton has filed against Bridgeport and Armen Boladian over the last 30 years, raising the same exact issues,” said a statement from Boladian’s attorney, Richard Busch. “He has lost each and every time, including in the very courthouse in which he has filed this latest lawsuit. We will obviously, therefore, be moving to dismiss this lawsuit and will be seeking sanctions.”