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expected return on investment for signing and promoting an emerging artist, leading to fears that the practice would end. Michael argued that the structure of the industry concentrated power in too few hands, and that these companies competed by selling music, but not in the terms offered to new artists. This led to an imbalance of power, where the artist was contractually obligated to produce a set number of albums of acceptable quality and cede copyright to the label, but the label did not bear a reciprocal obligation to market and promote the product, in accordance with the artist's wishes or otherwise.
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alleged that Sony under-promoted his new album in response to these decisions. He further charged that the contract restricted him from seeking a new label and prevented him from managing his professional image as he saw fit. Michael described this imbalance of power and his long-term lack of control over his career as "professional slavery".
101:
on 30 October 1992, and
Justice Jonathan Parker issued a ruling on 1 June 1994. The plaintiff's claims were wholly rejected. Parker held that Michael's contracts were reasonable and fair, especially in consideration of his access to expert legal advice, several renegotiations, and terms comparable to
39:
with due vigour as punishment when the artist decided to downplay his status as a sex symbol. Michael described his situation as "professional slavery" because his contract required that he produce music and cede the copyright to Sony for many years, leaving him no control over how the music would be
64:
in 1987. Following Wham!'s success and subsequent break up, Michael renegotiated a new eight-album deal with Sony as a solo artist in 1988. This deal was further renegotiated in 1990 to reflect
Michael's superstar status, achieving terms comparable to similarly high-grossing artists. Michael's first
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represented a new direction for
Michael, downplaying the sex symbol status he had cultivated with Wham! in favour of a more reserved identity purely as a serious musician; he decided not to place his highly recognisable image on the album cover and declined to appear in promotional videos. Michael
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It was common practice in the recording industry to sign many emerging artists like Wham!, banking that long-term profits from the few commercial successes would cover the losses from promoting the remainder. A decision holding
Michael's contract unenforceable could have dramatically reduced the
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In July 1995, Sony sold the contract to rival record companies Virgin
Records and DreamWorks Records. Virgin granted worldwide rights when DreamWorks granted rights in the U.S. and Canada. All releases for these labels were co-labeled with
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the 1984 agreement was a compromise in good faith and the conditions obtained there would pertain to all subsequent renegotiations: there is a legitimate public interest in upholding such a compromise, and the suit fails at the initial
40:
marketed nor placing a reciprocal requirement that the label invest in promotion. Had the case succeeded, it might have curtailed the practice of signing artists to multi-album contracts. The court wholly rejected the claims.
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establishing the
European Community concerns trade between member states, and was held not to apply; Article 222 governing property ownership, including intellectual property, would have superseded in any
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Michael was advanced a sum of £1 million in
February 1992 under the terms of the 1990 contract. This amount was returned to Sony in August of the same year in preparation for filing suit in October.
60:. In 1984 this contract was nullified as part of a legal compromise wherein Wham! were obligated to produce up to eight new albums for CBS Records; the label and the contract were acquired by
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380:
574:
542:
349:"Law Report: Recording agreement enforceable: Panayiotou and others v Sony Music Entertainment (UK) Ltd – Chancery Division (Mr Justice Jonathan Parker), 1 June 1994"
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33:, argued that his recording contract constituted an unreasonable restraint of trade. Michael alleged that the defendant had failed to promote his album
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510:
649:
588:
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137:, a record company owned by George Michael. He, eventually, returned to Sony Music in 2004, on which he released his final studio album,
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313:"George Michael and Sony face the music: Rock star's High Court contract case could shake the recording industry to its foundations"
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leaving aside the origin of the 1988 agreement, its provisions were justifiable: the label has a legitimate and enforceable
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the industry standard for an artist of his commercial success. There were five prongs to the justice's dismissal:
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by activating its terms in requesting an advance in 1992, Michael affirmed the 1988 agreement.
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143:. Additionally, in 2011, all his catalogue for Virgin and DreamWorks were reissued on Sony.
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the case was indeed such that the doctrine of restraint of trade would be applicable;
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in 1982 at the age of eighteen as part of the then relatively unknown pop duo
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Georgios
Panayiotou, known professionally as George Michael, signed with
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21:( ChD 142) was a contract and entertainment law case before the
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18:
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Nordenfelt v Maxim, Nordenfelt Guns and
Ammunition Co Ltd
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was released in 1990 and had sold 5 million copies.
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575:Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael
543:Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael
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678:Panayiotou v Sony Music Entertainment (UK) Ltd.
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283:"George Michael Loses Lawsuit Against Sony"
120:restraint of trade under Article 85 of the
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117:in an exclusive contract of some duration;
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248:"'Pop slave' George Michael to fight on"
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281:Stevenson, Richard W. (22 June 1994).
650:George Michael: Portrait of an Artist
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180:– A Challenge to Artistic Freedom?"
197:10.1111/j.1468-2230.1995.tb02047.x
56:. Innervision were distributed by
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643:George Michael: A Different Story
310:Lister, David (19 October 1993).
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360:from the original on 24 May 2022
324:from the original on 24 May 2022
259:from the original on 24 May 2022
759:1994 in United Kingdom case law
472:Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1
214:Ipsen, Erik (19 October 1993).
74:Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1
36:Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1
346:Tan, Ying Hui (24 June 1994).
97:Michael filed suit before the
1:
245:Smith, Giles (22 June 1994).
29:. The plaintiff, entertainer
216:"Sony Suit Plays High Court"
754:High Court of Justice cases
696:Imagine Piano Peace Project
486:Songs from the Last Century
178:George Michael v Sony Music
790:
718:
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378:Under the first wing of
174:Coulthard, Alan (1995).
79:Listen Without Prejudice
62:Sony Music Entertainment
184:The Modern Law Review
23:High Court of Justice
387:ZTT v Holly Johnson
384:and in contrast to
115:recoupment interest
50:Innervision Records
774:Entertainment law
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621:Live in Australia
448:Live performances
99:Chancery Division
27:Chancery Division
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611:Cover to Cover
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589:Live in London
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287:New York Times
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220:New York Times
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190:(5): 731–744.
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135:Aegean Records
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122:Treaty of Rome
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31:George Michael
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535:Compilations
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362:. Retrieved
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326:. Retrieved
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261:. Retrieved
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223:. Retrieved
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65:solo album,
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582:Twenty Five
550:Twenty Five
503:Live albums
438:Discography
58:CBS Records
764:Sony Music
743:Categories
708:soundtrack
525:Symphonica
364:28 January
328:28 January
292:28 January
263:28 January
225:28 January
147:References
44:Background
690:Eli Stone
511:Five Live
728:Category
493:Patience
358:Archived
322:Archived
257:Archived
140:Patience
93:Decision
660:Related
616:25 Live
110:hurdle;
443:Awards
667:Wham!
568:Faith
479:Older
465:Faith
125:case;
68:Faith
54:Wham!
366:2012
330:2012
294:2012
265:2012
227:2012
192:doi
25:'s
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154:^
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.