Aston Barrett, the bassist with Bob Marley's backing group The Wailers, was in court yesterday in an attempt to win copyright payments he says he is due from Universal Island. The case relates to a partnership agreement he claims he had the late reggae superstar, who died in 1981, through which he says he is due copyright for six songs and royalties from mid-seventies recordings.
Universal-Island Records and UMG Recordings are disputing the claims saying a settlement reached in 1994 between the label and various members of the Wailers drew a line under numerous claims of copyright co-ownership on Marley material.