How Kanye West’s Lawsuit Against EMI Could Change the Music Industry Forever
Kanye West can’t retire. His music publisher says so.
Buried in the language of an extension to his music publishing deal with EMI is this clause:
“At no time during the Term will you seek to retire as a songwriter, recording artist or producer or take any extended hiatus during which you are not actively pursuing Your musical career in the same basic manner as You have pursued such career to date.”
From the publisher’s perspective, the situation is simple: they don’t make money when West isn’t working, so they had him sign a contract that says he can’t stop.
From any other perspective, this clause is outrageous, and West is using that language, together with a decades-old California law, in a pair of lawsuits that could completely change the music business.
In January, West filed suit against Roc-a-Fella Records (and affiliated labels and businesses owned by Universal Music Group), and music publisher EMI (owned by SONY/ATV Music Publishing). Both lawsuits were heavily redacted, making it difficult to understand them in detail, but it was clear there was a dispute over his rights.
We learned more about one this past Friday when text of the EMI lawsuit became public in an exhibit to a…
