Back to the pop courts (sort of, no lawsuit has actually been filed) and more on the previously reported Bob Marley ringtones dispute.
As previously reported, the Marley family have threatened to sue both the Universal Music Group and Verizon Wireless over a deal that gives the phone firm "exclusive" rights to distribute Marley's music via mobile for a month (mainly as realtone ringtones). The Marley family say Universal had no right to enter into an exclusivity deal without their permission, which was not given. It seems the family are worried the exclusivity deal implies Verizon is being endorsed by the late Marley. Quite why the public at large would think 25 year dead Bob would be endorsing mobile phone companies we're not sure, but whatever.
Universal disputed the Marley family's claims, but Verizon took the ringtones down anyway, while Universal and the Marley family argued it out. That led to Island Records founder and current Marley family advisor Chris Blackwell to announce that the phone firm had "ceded to the Marley family estate demands". Verizon responded by saying, essentially, "no we feckin didn't", and to prove it they made the ringtones available again (albeit only via their mobile platform, not their web platform).
Meanwhile, aware that it was the "exclusivity" bit that pissed off the Marleys, Universal, despite still claiming they had the rights to enter into an exclusivity deal with Verizon, promptly announced it would be letting other ringtone platforms distribute Marley ringtones before Verizon's exclusivity period was up, though without explaining what impact this had on its original deal with Verizon. Although Billboard say that insiders there claim that Universal reckon that Verizon lost its exclusivity rights when it removed the Marley ringtones from its service last week.
As you can see, this is all very messy, and no doubt more shenanigans can be expected before it all irons itself out.
Elsewhere in Marley news, one of Marley's sons, Ky-Mani Marley, has announced he'll be supporting Van Halen on their previously reported reunion tour, showcasing what he reckons is a totally new sound. He told Billboard: "It's really edgy, really urban....I don't want to call it hip-hop, and it's not r'n'b. I like to call it 'Ky-Mani'. I think I've created my own sound now, where you can identify me from everything else". Whatever, I just hope he's sorted out who has the ringtone rights to that stuff.