The Universal Music Group has been brought into that much previously reported legal action involving former chart topping boy band Busted, following new allegations that axed members' vocals appeared in some of the early records from the band that were released by the major.
This is part of that long running litigation being pursued by two of the founding members of Busted - Ki Fitzgerald and Owen Doyle - who were axed before the boy band enjoyed any chart success. They claim that they were integral in the creation of the Busted franchise, coming up with the name and co-writing some of the band's early hits. But, they claim, they were unfairly cut out of the equation by manager Richard Rashman before the chart success came a knocking. They also allege that Rashman failed to fulfill his contractual commitments as a manager to protect their interests by making them sign agreements on their departure that greatly favoured Rashman and remaining band members, James Bourne and Matt Willis. Fitzgerald and Doyle's legal action, launched in 2005 and seeking a cut of the royalties from the band's early songs and trademark, names Rashman, Bourne and Willis as defendants.
Lawyers involved in the case were in the High Court in London last week where a judge set dates for the trial, with evidence due to be submitted by July for a trial start date of 1 Feb 2008. It was at that hearing that lawyers representing Fitzgerald and Doyle introduced a further claim in the action - that some vocals recorded by the plaintiffs were actually used on the recordings that appeared on the band's debut album 'Busted', which was released by Universal Records in 2002. The new allegations mean that Universal Music will now be added as defendants in the long running legal dispute.
A spokesman for Fitzgerald and Doyle's lawyers, Entertainment Law Associates, also told reporters that his office were looking into whether Rashman also failed to protect his band's interests by personally registering the Busted trademark in the US, rather than registering it in the band members' names. On those allegations, a spokesman said: "Our counterpart lawyers in the US, in conjunction with the US Trademark Bureau and the District Attorney's office, are also making further enquiries into why Richard Rashman applied to register the trademark "Busted" as his own personal property whilst Ki and Owen were still in the band and without ever informing them. As the Busted name was originated by Ki and then became the property of the four partners in the band, Rashman's actions in the States are a cause of grave concern".
On the setting of a trial date for the case, meanwhile, said spokesman told CMU: "We are disappointed that the trial itself won't start until early next year, but nonetheless we have a firm date for the trial. Ki and Owen just want to come face to face with Willis, Bourne and Rashman in Court so that the truth can finally come out".
Which is all very exciting. As I'm pretty sure we've also previously reported, the two plaintiffs are also suing Matt Willis in a separate lawsuit regarding comments he made against them in a Sunday newspaper interview. Ah, poor Matt Willis. Still, as I say, all very exciting.