Last week, a U.K. judge allowed Kieran Hebden A.K.A. Four Tet to add a breach of contract claim to his ongiong lawsuit against Domino Recorings.
Hebden and Domino have been in a legal battle over streaming royalties since August 2021. This latest development comes after Domino removed three of Hebden’s albums from streaming services in retaliation.
The lawsuit was due to head to a high court in the U.K. next month but Domino sought a summary judgment in its favor ahead of the hearing. Because of Hebden’s amendment regarding the takedown, further discussions regarding how the case should move forward took place online.
A legal representative from Domino explained that while they don’t agree with Hebden’s interpretation of his contract, they offered to pay for his legal fees along with a 50% royalty rate on past streams.
Since Hebden’s old recordings are no longer available online, there is technically no active dispute. While that means those recordings may never go back up, it also means that Domino would avoid setting a legal precedent in court. A lawyer representing Hebden called the takedown a “deliberate, cynical, and outrageous move.”
This action by Domino is what prompted Hebden’s team to amend the lawsuit. By taking down the music, they allege that Domino is not living up to its contractual obligation to release his recordings.
