Music producer Dr Luke has launched a counterclaim against Kesha over unpaid royalties.
Kesha and Dr Luke have been engaged in a legal battle since 2014 after she accused him of verbally, sexually, and physically abusing her while she was signed to his Kemosabe Records label.
The parties recently agreed to a conference in a bid to settle the lawsuit, but last month (Jan17), both sides requested permission to file counterclaims against each other. The singer attempted to make a case to be released from her contract after a judge denied a motion for an injunction, while Dr Luke, real name Lukasz Gottwald, accused Kesha of failing to fulfil her contractual obligations and “embarking on a conscious and coordinated effort to blacklist” him.
Kesha also claimed she has recorded new music, but none of the songs have been approved and no release date has been set. She accused Dr Luke of punishing her for speaking out and holding back the money she insisted she is owed.
However, on Monday (06Feb17), Gottwald detailed the contractual agreement between him and Kesha and claimed he is the one who is owed money – $1.3 million (£1 million) in royalties to be precise.
“Plaintiffs have paid Kesha her royalties for all relevant accounting periods, while Kesha baselessly refuses to pay Plaintiffs the much larger sums she owes them,” legal papers read. “In December 2016 alone, Defendant received payments under her contracts with Plaintiffs in excess of $650,000. In sharp contrast, Defendant admits that she owes Plaintiff KMI over $1.3 million in ancillary royalties that she has failed to pay.”
According to legal papers, Kesha agreed to pay Dr Luke’s company 10 per cent of all money she earns when her name and likeness is used. She also reportedly has to pay 10 per cent of her net tour receipts or five percent of her adjusted gross tour receipts.
Meanwhile, Dr Luke’s legal team insists he is not trying to block her from making music.
“Defendant also would have this Court – and the press and public – believe that Gottwald has interfered with her recording process and has prevented her from recording new music,” the legal papers continue. “Nothing could be further from the truth.
“As Kesha’s proposed counterclaim concedes, she is recording in the studio with producers of her choosing and preparation is underway for the release of her next album. Gottwald has not interfered in any way with her recording process.”
