From Billboard Online:

Music Greats Sue For Back Royalties
February 15, 2008 | Legal and Management

By Associated Press

Some of the biggest names in American music or their estates are suing Universal Music Group Inc. for more than $6 million, claiming the company has been cheating them out of royalties for years.

The plaintiffs include Patti Page, and the estates of Count Basie, Sarah Vaughan, Woody Herman, Les Brown, Benny Goodman and the Mills Brothers.

The lawsuit, filed late Thursday in Manhattan's state Supreme Court, says Universal Music and one of its subsidiaries have "pervasively and systematically breached" agreements with the artists by using accounting tricks since at least 1998.

The lawsuit seeks at least $6.07 million plus attorneys' fees and punitive damages.

A representative at Universal Music said the authorized spokesman was traveling and not immediately available to comment.

Excellent!!!!! This is the best news I've heard in a long time!

The R&B Foundation went after Atlantic Records several years ago and helped some early rockers leave their lives of poverty behind and to finally receive the monies owed them.

I wonder who will be the next one to be sued after UMG?

Hopefully EMI. I would personally love to see them financially broken because of the way their new owners are threatening and abusing their artists.

Good Point.

There was a book that came out called "Hit Men" It was about music promoters and contained many examples of how artists were denied royalties. Jackie Wilson & Badfinger are two good examples.