A court case began in the US District Court in Detroit yesterday, where studio owner Jim Diamond will claim that he is due a share of the royalties on the White Stripes' first two albums because he played a "pivotal role" in creating the duo's signature sound.
Diamond is credited as producer on the band's eponymous debut album, and as sound mixer on 2000's 'De Stijl'. However, the band deny that Diamond helped create their 'style', claiming in court papers that they paid him $35 an hour for the use of his services and Ghetto Recorders studio and that there was never any kind of royalty split proposed.
The trial began yesterday with jury selection, with both sides expected to now present their arguments by the end of the week.