Yoko Ono suing John Lennon's record company for $10m

Yoko Ono is suing EMI Group PLC for $10 million plus interest, claiming the company, which owns the EMI and Capitol Record labels which distribute John Lennon's music, has cheated his estate out of royalties.

The Associated Press reported that Ono filed suit in Manhattan's state Supreme Court, accusing the labels of violating six agreements by "willfully and knowingly underreporting royalties" by hiding the "true use and disposition of Lennon's recordings." The suit also accuses EMI/Capitol "intentionally and systematically rendering dishonest and grossly deficient accounting statements."

A spokeswoman for EMI/Capitol said that, "Artists from time to time request audits of their royalty accounts. Sometimes there are differences of opinion, which is understandable given the complex nature of recording contracts... 99 times out of 100 these things are resolved in an amicable way."

Earlier this year, a U.S. Superior Court refused to throw out a similar suit, which was brought against the labels by the Beatles' company Apple. The lawsuit, filed by Apple on behalf of the Beatles, seeks complete ownership of the group's master recordings. Under their current agreement, EMI/Capitol owns the Beatles entire catalogue, but the Beatles have total control over what the label is allowed to release.

John Lennon's original contract with EMI/Capitol, which was still part of his Beatles agreement, lapsed in January 1976. Starting in 1980 with their Double Fantasy album, Lennon and Ono signed a two record deal with Geffen Records. After Lennon's death in 1980, three projects, including the outtakes collection Milk And Honey, were released through Polydor.

Since 1986's Live In New York City, all of Lennon's post-1969 unreleased and reissued work has been released through EMI/Capitol.
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