Sony Music Entertainment has dismissed its copyright lawsuit against the production companies behind "Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody" (2022), nine months after filing the initial complaint.

The lawsuit centered on alleged unpaid synchronization fees for 24 Whitney Houston songs used in the biopic. While specific financial details were redacted in the court documents, the licensing package was likely substantial given Houston's commercial prominence.

Key points about the case:

• The film had a $45 million budget and earned $59.4 million at the box office
• Production companies allegedly failed to pay required sync fees by the 2023 deadline
• The case was dismissed with prejudice, though settlement terms remain undisclosed
• The songs in question were later licensed to Duolingo in 2023

This resolution joins other notable recent music industry legal developments, including:

• Ed Sheeran's victory in the "Thinking Out Loud" copyright case
• Universal Music Group's $500 million lawsuit against Believe and TuneCore over alleged piracy
• A unique case involving Plies, Soulja Boy, and Megan Thee Stallion regarding nested sampling permissions

The dismissal marks the end of this high-profile dispute between Sony Music and the biopic's producers, though specific settlement details remain private.

Related Articles

Previous Articles