The Second Circuit Court of Appeals has determined that it is too late for courts to engage in a copyright dispute concerning some songs attributed to George Clinton, the predecessor of the band Funkadelic. The conflict involves two record labels that both assert ownership rights over these works, which date back to the late 1960s. The court deemed that the time has long passed for legal adjudication of this matter, a point that effectively curtails further legal pursuits by the disputing parties.
This issue highlights the challenges in intellectual property rights pertaining to historical works in the music industry. For more information on this decision, visit the Law360 coverage.