Sony Music Entertainment has broken its silence on Dr. Luke‘s ongoing legal war with Kesha…the young woman he is accused of sexually abusing.
Read below…
Sony lawyer Scott A. Edelman spoke to ‘The New York Times’ recently.
During their conversation they asked him why Sony is yet to free the ‘Backstabber’ performer from her contract which ties her to Luke, who she says drugged and abused her on several occasions.
His answer?
Sony is not in a position to terminate the contractual relationship between Luke and Kesha. Sony is doing everything it can to support the artist in these circumstances, but is legally unable to terminate the contract to which it is not a party.
Why this is the case?
Sources close to Billboard magazine explain that Kesha signed to Dr. Luke’s company in 2005 when she was 18-years-old.
Four years would pass before he would take Kesha to Sony Music subsidiary RCA/Jive, “signing what amounts to a distribution deal on that initial 2005 contract.”
Two years later, RCA/Jive CEO Barry Weiss left that company for Universal Music Group (he’s since moved on from UMG), which prompted the dissolution of RCA/Jive and the shuttling, yet again, of Kesha’s contract to Kemosabe Records, a new Sony Music subsidiary set up in the wake of RCA/Jive’s demise.
Through these various agreements, breakups, formations and transfers, Kesha’s contract was licensed to various Sony Music subsidiaries, but retained ownership of the agreement throughout.
Unfortunately, not everyone is convinced.
For, some of the star’s fans cite reports that the label offered to place with her with another one of their subsidiary’s as their reason for believing that it does have the power to free her from her current contract.
Keep it locked on TGJ for more on this developing story.