George Clinton Announces $100M Copyright Lawsuit At Apollo Theater Press Conference

George Clinton — who will be inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame in June — has filed a lawsuit against his former business partner Armen Boladian and his Bridgeport Music company. The Parliament-Funkadelic leader and funk legend accuses Boladian of fraudulently acquiring copyrights to about 90 percent of his catalog, and Clinton is suing for $100 million.

Clinton announced the lawsuit outside the Apollo Theater today at a press conference with his attorney Ben Crump. “I’m fighting for my life’s work and to ensure future generations of artists are treated fairly,” Clinton said. “When you’re young and just starting out in the music industry, it’s easy for others to take advantage of you. My eyes are wide open now, and I look forward to shining a light on the truth and exploitation of musicians.”

Along with Bridgeport Music, Clinton is also suing Westbound Records, Nine Records, Southfield Music and Eastbound Records. “For decades, George Clinton has shaped the sound of music and inspired generations of artists, yet he has been systematically deprived of the rights and royalties he rightfully deserves,” Crump said. “This lawsuit is about holding accountable those who have built their wealth by exploiting the creativity of Black artists. The fraudulent actions detailed in this lawsuit are as egregious as they are disheartening, and it is past time for these wrongs to be righted.”

The complaint alleges fraud, copyright infringement, and breach of fiduciary duty by wrongfully acquiring rights to Clinton’s music catalog and thusly denying him rightful ownership and decades of royalties. Other allegations include conversion and civil theft, fraud and constructive fraud, unjust enrichment, breach of fiduciary duty, and negligence.

Variety, who obtained the suit, report that between 1982 and 1985 Boladian allegedly fabricated several versions of agreements designating additional rights to his catalog and added fake names and pseudonyms to copyright registrations to diminish shares in his royalties. Meanwhile, Boladian filed hundreds of lawsuits in 2001 against musicians who sampled Clinton’s songs while not adding Clinton as a plaintiff, therefore not sharing any of the millions he received with Clinton.

Also in 2001, Clinton lost a copyright lawsuit against Boladian with the judge ruling that music written from 1976 to 1983 belonged to Boladian’s Bridgeport Music. Boladian lost a defamation suit against Clinton in 2021.

Boladian’s Attorney Richard Busch told Variety: “This is just the latest in a series of lawsuits that Mr. Clinton has filed against Bridgeport and Armen Boladian over the last 30 years raising the same exact issues,” his statement reads. “He has lost each and every time, including in the very courthouse in which he has filed this latest lawsuit. We will obviously therefore be moving to dismiss this lawsuit and will be seeking sanctions.”