Steve Earle Drops His Claims Against Universal Music Over 2008 Backlot Fire

By Jem Aswad

By Variety Staff

A lawsuit filed against Universal Music over a warehouse fire in 2008 that destroyed over 100,000 music recordings has been dismissed.

The lawsuit sought upwards of $100million in damages

A federal judge has dismissed several iconic musicians’ lawsuit against Universal Music Group over a 2008 warehouse fire that destroyed archived recordings, The New York Times reports. The lawsuit was filed by Soundgarden, Steve Earle, Hole, and the estates of Tupac Shakur and Tom Petty last year in response to a Times investigation of Hollywood warehouse fire that reportedly destroyed many master tapes.

A judge has dismissed a class action lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG) originally brought by several artists and estates over a 2008 vault fire.

A federal judge has dismissed a class action lawsuit against Universal Music Group over a 2008 warehouse fire that a New York Times Magazine report last year claimed destroyed up to 500,000 master recordings in the the record company's archive vaults.The class action lawsuit was initially filed June 21, 2019, in California with claims by Soundgarden, Steve Earle, Hole, the estate of Tupac Shakur and by Jane Petty, Tom Petty's ex-wife and heir to 50% of his recording agreements.

Universal Music Group CEO and chairmanLucian Graingeis at home and recuperating after being hospitalized with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus,more than two weeks ago. Grainge sent a letter to UMG staff on Monday, updating them to his condition.

By Jem Aswad

Universal Music Group CEO and chairman Lucian Grainge is at home and recuperating after being hospitalized with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, more than two weeks ago.Grainge sent a letter to UMG staff on Monday (April 6), updating them to his condition.

French entertainment and telecom conglomerate Vivendi said Tuesday that it has closed its sale of a 10 percent stake in Universal Music Group to a consortium led by Chinese online giant Tencent. It confirmed the deal was based on an enterprise value of €30 billion, or $33 billion at current exchange rates, compared with $33.6 billion when the transaction was announced at the end of 2019.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to shut down thousands of businesses around the country and keep millions of people confined to their homes around the globe, the Universal Music Group today (March 30) announced a multi-million dollar initiative intended to support its artists, songwriters and employees over the next several months.

Universal Music Group today announced several initiatives to bring relief to musicians, its employees and the music industry in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic that in a short time has devastated so much of the global economy. It also pledged to assist its artists in their charitable efforts

Staff at a Scots care home where a patient has died from Covid-19 fear catching the virus because of a lack of personal protection equipment (PPE).

Steve Earle has pulled out of a lawsuit against Universal Music Group that was filed by five artists last year over damage the artists’ musical recordings suffered in a 2008 fire that destroyed many assets in the company’s vaults. With the withdrawal from the lawsuit earlier this month of the Tupac Estate and Soundgarden, and withdrawal last year of the group Hole, this leaves only the contested estate of Tom Petty.

By Dominic Patten

Lauren Jauregui wants to keep you dancing amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

A charity has hit back at claims that its chairman quietly pocketed more than quarter of a million pounds from the organisation.