UK court battle opens over Marley’s songs

(CNS): The High Court in London began hearing arguments Tuesday, in a copyright dispute over 13 songs by the late Jamaican reggae icon Bob Marley. The publisher Cayman Music is attempting to retrieve the rights to the songs, among them No Woman, No Cry. It claims they were not included when it sold some of its rights in 1992 to Chris Blackwell’s Blue Mountain Music, as Bob Marley had penned them under other people's names. But Blue Mountain says the songs were covered under the transfer deal. The case is centred on an agreement the two companies signed in 1992, 11 years after the music star died of cancer.

According to Music-News.com this is a landmark trial and Cayman is represented by Hugo Cuddigan the man who retrieved the rights to 'A Whiter Shade of Pale' for Matthew Fisher. Chris Blackwell's company is represented by eminent music barrister Sir Ian Mill QC..

Cayman, a music company, which was created by the late Danny Sims, was the original, long-standing publishers of Bob Marley and represented his catalogue from 1967 to late 1976. The defendants are the then publishing arm of Island Records and sometime publisher of various Bob Marley titles, from the mid 1970s to later in his career. Both publishers retain some of Bob Marley's work to the present day. Bob Marley returned to ex-manager Sims prior to his death.

The songs under dispute include Crazy Baldhead; Johnny Was; Natty Dread; No Woman No Cry; Positive Vibration; Rastaman Vibration; Rat Race; Rebel Music (Road Block); So Jah Seh; Them Belly Full; Want More; War; Who The Cap Fit.