Judge Dismisses Key Parts of Limp Bizkit's $200M Lawsuit Against Universal Music

Judge Dismisses Key Parts of Limp Bizkit's $200M Lawsuit Against Universal Music

By Marcus Bennett

January 29, 2025 at 02:22 AM

A federal judge has partially dismissed Limp Bizkit's $200+ million lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG), requiring an amended complaint by February 3rd.

Fred Durst performing on stage

Fred Durst performing on stage

The lawsuit, filed in October 2024 by Limp Bizkit, Fred Durst, and Flawless Records, came after Durst's new legal team discovered allegedly unpaid royalties and questionable recoupment practices across multiple deals, including an Interscope-Flawless joint venture.

UMG responded in November 2024 with a dismissal motion, arguing that:

  • The company hadn't violated any agreement terms
  • Cross-account recoupments were contractually permitted
  • Multimillion-dollar advances had been paid as agreed

Judge Percy Anderson's ruling dismissed three key claims:

  1. Contract rescission
  2. Copyright infringement
  3. Declaratory relief

The judge concluded that the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate a "substantial" or "total failure" in contract performance that would justify rescission. Additionally, the court rejected claims that UMG fraudulently induced the band into signing deals with no intention of making royalty payments.

UMG logo

UMG logo

While late payments were acknowledged by UMG, the court determined this wasn't sufficient grounds for contract rescission, even when considering the 30-day post-notification remedy window. The remaining allegations await review following the submission of an amended complaint.

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