Mary Bono has filed a motion to dismiss Cher's $1 million lawsuit regarding copyright-termination notices. The dispute centers on royalty rights established during Cher and Sonny Bono's 1975 divorce settlement.

Key points of the legal dispute:

• In 1978, Sonny granted Cher 50% of their musical composition royalties, record royalties, and other assets
• In September 2021, the Bono Collection Trust issued a Section 304(c) termination notice affecting these copyrights
• Mary Bono argues the termination rights belong to statutory beneficiaries and cannot be overridden by the marriage settlement agreement
• The motion claims Sonny could grant current rights but not sign away future termination rights of his heirs

Legal arguments for dismissal:

1. The claim for declaratory judgment is preempted by the federal Copyright Act
2. The breach of contract claim is insufficiently alleged
3. Congress limited an author's ability to sign away termination rights
4. The marriage settlement agreement cannot bind heirs on matters outside its scope

Notable context: Mary Bono needs cooperation from Sonny's son, Chaz, to execute the termination, as she doesn't own more than 50% of the termination interest.

The case continues under docket number 2:21-cv-08157, with Cher yet to publicly respond to the motion to dismiss.

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