Dr. Dre Wins Lawsuit Against Death Row Records
Dr. Dre's longtime battle with Death Row Records is back in his favor. The West Coast veteran won his 2010 lawsuit against WIDEawake/Death Row, which intended to stop the label from digitally distributing his classic debut 'The Chronic.'
The ruling, set forth by U.S. District Judge Christina Snyder, declares that Dre deserves much more money than he's been given from online sales of the 1992 release. While it does not cease the digital sales of the album, the court win entitles him to 100 percent of the proceeds made from purchases on the Internet.
Dre's attorney, Howard King, explained that they are satisfied with the court rulings.
"For years, Death Row Records forgot about Dre when they continued to distribute his music digitally and combined his hits with weaker Death Row tracks in an attempt to elevate the stature of their other artists," he said in a statement. "We are gratified that the federal court has unambiguously declared that Death Row has no right to engage in such tactics, and must hold all proceeds from these illicit distributions in trust for our client."
The war between Dre and his former label home extends back more than a decade. He last filed a suit against Death Row in 1996, over his exit agreement, which gave him 18 percent royalties on music recorded while at the imprint. The current agreement only allows for his tracks to be sold in the format they appeared prior to the consensus, which extends to CD, cassette, vinyl and 8-track.
Watch Dr. Dre's 'Forgot About Dre'