The estates of Jimi Hendrix's former bandmates Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell have lost a High Court case against Sony Music Entertainment UK (SMEUK) over copyright in studio recordings from the 1960s.
Mr Justice Johnson dismissed the claims by the estates of the bassist and drummer, who both died in the 2000s, in a 140-page ruling on Tuesday. The estates had sought a declaration over shares in the ownership of copyrights for about 40 recordings of the Jimi Hendrix Experience, as well as rights related to the performances.
SMEUK denied any infringement, arguing that the producers of the albums owned the original recording copyright, not the musicians. The judge agreed, saying a clause in the recording agreement was “clear and unequivocal”, and that the producers and band members had agreed the producers would hold copyright worldwide with no temporal or territorial limitation.
Redding and Mitchell played on the group's three studio albums: Are You Experienced, Axis: Bold as Love and Electric Ladyland. A spokesperson for SMEUK said the company was “thankful” the case had ended after more than four years and pleased the court confirmed there had been no infringement.
Janie Hendrix, chief executive of Experience Hendrix, said she had “nothing but positive memories” of Redding and Mitchell, and that the company's relationships with both reflected a commitment to honouring the musicians who were part of Jimi Hendrix's history.
