Scottish indie rockers the Jesus and Mary Chain filed suit against Warner Music Group Monday in Los Angeles, alleging the company refuses to end its copyright claim to the band’s acclaimed 1985 breakthrough album “Psychocandy” and other early works.
Lawyers for the group, founded by brothers Jim and William Reid, contend that federal copyright law permits them to ask copyright holders to terminate ownership claims 35 years after a work’s publication, allowing artists to regain control of their creations.
The lawsuit alleges that Warner Music “willfully and stubbornly” refused to comply with the band’s 2019 termination notice regarding its five albums for the label — “Psychocandy,” “Darklands,” “Barbed Wire Kisses,” “Automatic” and “Honey’s Dead.”
The suit, filed in Los Angeles federal court, seeks damages in the amount of $2.55 million.
A Warner Music representative could not immediately be reached for comment.