Universal Music criticizes Fred Durst's unpaid royalties lawsuit as baseless, responding with a detailed 35-page rebuttal ahead of a January dismissal hearing. The label directly challenges Durst's claims of concealed compensation and accounting irregularities.

Key points from Universal Music's response:

• UMG denies concealing owed royalties through payment software
• The label reveals January 2023 communications with plaintiffs' business manager about royalty payments
• Business manager Paul Ta incorrectly stated band members had sold/assigned their royalty rights
• Multi-million dollar payments were made to plaintiffs in August 2024
• UMG acknowledges an "embarrassing mistake" regarding delayed profit-split payments to Flawless Records

Legal arguments for dismissal:

1. Flip Records claims must be dismissed due to improper venue (California vs. required New York jurisdiction)
2. Contract termination claims are invalid as plaintiffs haven't shown complete payment failure
3. Deal terms explicitly prevent termination for royalty-accounting disputes
4. Advance balance discrepancies explained by offset between positive and negative account balances

The case continues with an expected dismissal hearing scheduled for January 6th, where both parties will present their arguments before the court.

Note: This legal dispute involves Limp Bizkit, Fred Durst, and Durst's Flawless Records seeking contract termination and alleging millions in unpaid royalties from Universal Music Group.

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