George Clinton is suing for his back royalties.
According to Music Business Worldwide, the Parliament-Funkadelic founder filed a federal lawsuit accusing Universal Music Group of withholding 100% of his royalties across at least 12 accounts for more than three years.
Also, in the 20-page filing, Clinton is pursuing “compensatory damages exceeding $1.1 million, the release of all withheld royalties, a full accounting, an injunction preventing further withholding, and attorneys’ fees.”
”This is a straightforward breach of contract case arising from UMG’s decision to withhold 100% of royalties payable to Plaintiff under governing recording agreements based on a third-party lawsuit to which UMG is not a party. UMG faces no claim, in which UMG could incur no liability, and in which the third party has now lost on summary judgment,” the filing states.
CLINTON CLAIMS HE’S OWED MILLIONS IN BACK ROYALTIES
Currently, George Clinton is currently owed $996,123.03 in Parliament royalties according to quarterly statements at the end of 2025. Also, $99,000 is related to a Clinton/Clijo Productions account, and another $29,543.22 tied to Clinton’s work with the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
”The [Worrell] Estate has never claimed any interest in those recordings,” the suit says. “Which were created decades after Bernie Worrell’s involvement with Parliament, on a different label, with different artists, and under a different contract… The amount UMG is withholding bears no rational relationship to any ‘potential liability in issue.’ Indeed, no such potential liability exists at all.”
The filing suit claims “UMG is withholding 100% of royalties from every Clinton account spanning the entirety of Clinton’s recording career, both before and after 1976.”
Clinton’s legal team classifies the actions as “financially crippling,” and the royalties are their client’s “primary source of income.”
CLINTON IS ALSO SUING FOR HIS COPYRIGHTS TO HIS MUSIC
No stranger lawsuits, George Clinton filed a $100 million copyright lawsuit against Arman Boladian, his former business partner, in March 2025.