Steve Perry lawsuit provides a glimpse of key points of entertainment law
The year is 1991, and Stephen Perry and Phil Brown are recording demos on an eight-track recorder in Brown's California home. They write two compositions: "Somebody Somewhere" and "Don't Push the River". Brown shows Perry two other songs he previously wrote, and Perry lays down vocals for all four songs. The two musicians enter into a modest administration agreement designating Perry as administrator in perpetuity of the two co-writes. Perry advances Brown $1500, recoupable against collection of writer and publisher royalties. Brown, in turn, executes a promissory note for payment of the $1500 in the event that the songs do not make Perry's next LP. The songs do not make the LP For the Love of Strange Medicine , released in 1994. But the tapes remain with Brown. In 2002, attorneys for the two parties exchange terse letters regarding ownership of the sound recordings. But the dispute never makes its way into court. Fast forward to October 2018, ...