A U.S. District Court judge has dismissed the lawsuit filed by Salt-N-Pepa's Cheryl “Salt” James and Sandra “Pepa” Denton against Universal Music Group. The duo sought to reclaim ownership of their master recordings under copyright termination rights. The ruling favors UMG, stating the artists never owned the masters in question.
Last year, Cheryl “Salt” James and Sandra “Pepa” Denton, members of the hip-hop duo Salt-N-Pepa, initiated legal action against Universal Music Group (UMG). They alleged that UMG removed their songs from streaming services following their efforts to regain control of the master recordings. The complaint, which did not include the group's former DJ Spinderella, relied on Section 203 of the 1976 Copyright Act. This provision enables artists to terminate grants of copyright and reclaim ownership after a set period, typically several decades.
UMG's legal team responded with a motion to dismiss the case. On January 8, U.S. District Judge Denise Cote in New York's Southern District Court granted the motion. In her decision, Judge Cote determined that Salt-N-Pepa had never held ownership of the masters. Instead, the group initially assigned these rights to their first label, Noise in the Attic (NITA) Productions. In 1986, those rights transferred to Next Plateau Records, a UMG predecessor, without the duo's inclusion in the agreement.
A UMG spokesperson commented on the outcome: “While we are gratified that the court dismissed this baseless lawsuit, it should never have been brought in the first place. Prior to this suit—and without any legal obligation to do so—we made multiple attempts to resolve the matter amicably, improve the artists’ compensation, and ensure that Salt-N-Pepa’s fans had access to their music. Even with the court’s complete rejection of their claims, we remain open and willing to find a resolution to the matter and turn the page so we can focus our efforts on working together to amplify Salt-N-Pepa’s legacy for generations to come.”
Representatives for James and Denton have not yet responded to requests for comment. The decision underscores ongoing challenges in the music industry regarding artist rights and label contracts from earlier eras.