Roots Archives Forum

new world order sucks

skylarker20 wrote:musical fire wrote :Ernie B sold the lastleftover stock from their Brooklyn warehouse. Until the courtcase about the legal ownership is settled, don't expect anything new...

ownership of melodies or copyright of albums?

we tryed to deal with studio one on some repress but they are holding back, now this could be the reason why

That's basically the same thing Even though you can split it into economical and legal ownership.
And without melodies/riddims no albums as well.

i would imagine that it's a pretty tangled mess with the Jamaican and US assets of Studio One.... one party might want to press something, and another person issues a cease and desist.

the Treasure Isle debacle that went on between Sonia Pottinger and Coxsone Dodd (who really had no right at all to TI, he just tried to muscle in) and some others took 30 years to be resolved.

dont imagine..


Suit over Studio One catalogue coming to an end
Published: Wednesday | November 4, 2009


Howard Campbell, Gleaner Writer

The late Clement 'Sir Coxsone' Dodd. - File

A ruling in a revocation suit brought by the son of legendary music producer Clement 'Coxsone' Dodd against Dodd's wife and sister, could be made later this month in the Supreme Court.

On November 27, Justice Bertram Morrison will hear final submissions from lawyers representing the claimant Clement Dodd Jr, and defendants Norma Dodd and Carol Dodd. The former is represented by attorney Huntley Watson, while Heron Dale and Norman Wright are appearing for Norma and Carol Dodd, administrators of the will.

Dodd Jr filed the suit in the Supreme Court in 2006, claiming his name was wrongfully removed from his father's will which was made in December 1987.

No royalties

That prevents him from earning royalties from Jamrec, the publishing company of Dodd senior's Studio One label.

Dodd Jr's stepmother and sister contend that his name was intentionally removed by his father who died in 2004. Last Wednesday, the parties made their third court appearance in the Supreme Court, downtown Kingston.

The original copy of the will has been shown in court by Patricia Holness, chief executive officer of the Registrar General's Department. A copy of the will kept in the registry of the Supreme Court was also submitted and compared to the original.

The will was probated in the Supreme Court in 2005.

Norma and Carol Dodd oversee the Studio One catalogue, a massive collection that has titles going back to the late 1950s. Clement Dodd Sr started the label in 1963, recording countless artistes including the Wailers, Alton Ellis, Bob Andy, Delroy Wilson, Burning Spear, The Heptones, Marcia Griffiths, Dennis Brown, Sugar Minott and Freddie McGregor.

The Studio One catalogue got renewed exposure throughout the 1990s through a distribution deal Dodd senior signed with American independent company, Heartbeat Records. It gave the Cambridge, Massachusetts label exclusive rights to release Studio One albums, mainly in the United States and Europe.

Bitter battles

While Clement 'Coxsone' Dodd is regarded by many musicians as Jamaica's greatest producer, he had bitter battles with artistes over royalties.

Some performers, including Andy, successfully sued him.

On May 5, 2004, the 72 year-old Dodd suffered a heart attack at Studio One and was pronounced dead at hospital. In 2007, he was posthumously awarded the Order of Distinction by the government for his contribution to the development of Jamaican music.