ALBANY – A copyright renewal that Duke Ellington signed in 1961 does not unfairly deprive his heirs of a portion of foreign royalties on the music giant’s works such as “Mood Indigo” and “Sophisticated Lady,” the state Court of Appeals ruled Thursday.
In Ellington v. EMI Music, 156, the court ruled 5-2 that while changes in the music industry over the past 53 years have tended to make the contract and others signed in that era by artists like Ellington more favorable to music publishers, “clear and unambiguous” provisions govern EMI’s obligations to Ellington’s grandson Paul Ellington and the composer’s other survivors.
