Class Action Certified Against Sony Music Entertainment

The law firms of Goodkind Labaton Rudoff & Sucharow LLP and Milberg Weiss
Bershad Hynes & Lerach LLP announced today, a precedent setting decision
involving the music industry in which a class action
was certified against Sony Music Entertainment.

In the case of Gary Puckett et al. v. Sony Music Entertainment, Justice DeGrasse
of the New York State Supreme Court determined
that Gary Puckett and Robert Watson were appropriate class representatives to
represent a class of some 1500 recording artists and
producers to whom Sony accounts for foreign record royalties.

In their complaint, Puckett and Watson claim that Sony consistently underreports
foreign royalties to its recording artists and
producers in breach of Sony's contracts with Puckett, Watson and other members
of the class. Since it is extremely difficult for anyone
other than powerful, high profile artists and producers to obtain legal redress
against major record companies, due to the costs of hiring
attorneys and accountants, this decision is significant. A class action provides an
appropriate vehicle for all recording artists and
producers, regardless of their means or present popularity, to challenge the
propriety of the royalty accountings that they are provided.