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Free Kesha protestors deliver 400,000 signature petition to Sony Music
By Andy Malt | Published on Tuesday 15 March 2016
Kesha supporters have delivered a petition featuring 400,000 signatures from around the world to Sony Music’s Manhattan office, calling upon the major label to release the singer from her recording contract.
“We are here to deliver over 400,000 petitions from people from across the globe standing with Kesha and pressuring Sony to free Kesha from her contract right now”, said protest organiser Nicole Carty, according to Reuters.
As previously reported, Kesha launched civil action against producer Dr Luke in 2014, claiming that he had drugged and raped her. She wants to be released from an eight album deal with the producer’s label, Sony imprint Kemosabe, and other companies he owns.
With the case still at least a year away from coming to trial, Kesha is currently unable to record new music without working with Dr Luke in some way, shape or form. Something she and a growing number of supporters argue has put her career on hold to the verge of killing it entirely. Last month she was refused a temporary injunction to leave the Sony system until the case’s conclusion.
This is not the first Free Kesha protest staged – and the movement pre-dates Kesha’s lawsuit back to a time when fans simply blamed Dr Luke for the poor quality of the singer’s second album. However, Sony has previously pointed out that the structure of Kesha’s deal prevents the company from unilaterally releasing her to work with other people – she is not signed to the major directly, rather through multi-layered deals with Dr Luke’s companies.
“Sony is doing everything it can to support the artist in these circumstances, but is legally unable to terminate the contract to which it is not a party”, said a spokesperson for the company last month.
Luke is unlikely to release the singer from her deals with him unless a settlement in their case can be reached, his argument being that she fabricated the accusations of rape after contract negotiations didn’t go her way.
Last week he denied reports that Sony was about to sever its deal with him, which still has a year to run. Though even if the major did stop working with the producer, it wouldn’t necessarily be a positive outcome for Kesha, who would still be contracted to work with him and his companies.
Sony Music has not commented on the petition.
