Today, in an order issued by Judge Kevin Eide, the Minnesota District Court Judge overseeing the administration of Prince Roger Nelson’s Estate, the estate’s Personal Representative, Comerica Bank & Trust (Comerica), was ordered to provide Universal Recordings (Universal) with the 2014 Warner Bros. Agreement entered into by Prince and Warner Bros. Records. The Court also ordered an extension of time for the parties to try and resolve any actual and/or ongoing disputes. Previously, Warner Bros. objected to allowing Comerica to disclose the agreement to Universal while still claiming rights that Universal may have acquired in its agreement with the estate.
Comerica and Universal filed motions seeking a rescission of the extensive licensing agreement, entered into by Universal and the estate’s former special administrator, Bremer Trust. Warner Bros claimed they had rights in the 2014 agreement that Universal may have been granted by the Estate in 2017 but neither side saw the other’s agreement. All types of claims were asserted, however, the rescission motion was objected to by certain heirs of Prince and Prince’s long time attorney and partner, L. Londell McMillan, the man responsible for getting Prince out of his ’96 recording deal with Warner Bros. Prior to the legal filings by McMillan, certain heirs, and Bremer Trust, in support of full disclosure to Universal’s counsel, Universal had been denied the opportunity to review the terms of the 2014 WBR Agreement.
Three of the Estate’s heirs, and the former Estate Advisor McMillan, are opposing the rescission and seeking to assist and clarify the rights to all parties involved including Universal and Warner Bros. The Order does not speak to whether rescission is proper, but it does suggest that if the parties are able to actually see the agreement, perhaps a resolution may be possible.
See the link below to read the Court’s order in full:
http://www.mncourts.gov/mncourtsgov/media/CIOMediaLibrary/Documents/10PR1646_Order1_6-15-17.pdf
The Source Magazine is an affiliate of the media and entertainment company The NorthStar Group which is owned by L. Londell McMillan, a close friend to Prince during his life, and a current advisor to three of the singer’s siblings and heirs.
