LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) – A Tennessee sound recording company alleges an online radio station took its property and commercially exploited it without permission or compensation.
Gusto Records Inc. filed a complaint on March 1 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against Pandora Media Inc. alleging conversion, misappropriation and unfair business practices.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff is the owner of a large catalog of music dating prior to 1972, including hits from the 1940s. It alleges that before entering into a license agreement with defendant to use its specific sound recordings from Gusto Catalog in January 2017, it alleges that defendant already had taken recordings from the catalog without its consent.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks judgment for actual and compensatory and punitive damages, costs, attorneys' fees, costs incurred, and for such other or further relief as the court may deems just and proper. It is represented by Robert S. Besser of Law Offices of Robert S. Besser in Pacific Palisades, California and Christopher Chapin of Law Offices of Christopher Chapin in San Rafael, California.
U.S. District Court for the Central District of California Case number 2:18-cv-01733-RGK-JC