Vivendi sighs as Courtney Love settles suit

Rock singer Courtney Love, who sued the world’s biggest music company Vivendi to expose the industry’s allegedly corrupt practices...

Rock singer Courtney Love, who sued the world’s biggest music company Vivendi to expose the industry’s allegedly corrupt practices, settled her lawsuit on Monday amid questions about the future of major record labels.

After Love sued Vivendi Universal’s Universal Music Group last year to break her band’s contract, Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain’s widow complained about the ‘‘unconscionable and unlawful’’ business and accounting practices of major record labels.

Since then, dozens of stars have lined up to demand better contracts, health benefits and other reforms. But after a series of legal setbacks, Love agreed to a settlement that releases her from her contract and provides her with ownership of unreleased recordings by her band Hole.

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As part of the settlement, Love gave permission to Universal to release additional records by Nirvana. Universal will also pay an estimated US $12 million advance to be split among Love and the two surviving members of Nirvana, drummer Dave Grohl and bassist Krist sources said.

Love is the latest music star to sue her record label, only to settle before trial. Her case helped spur dozens of artists to activism and forced the record industry to defend its practices in front of lawmakers.

To some musicians, Love’s settlement underscored how difficult it can be for musicians to take on the five major record conglomerates that control the majority of the world’s music. Love’s dispute with Universal erupted in December 1999, when she notified the company that she would no longer record for it as it had improperly acquired her contract from another label.

If the Artists’ Rights Bill became law it could introduce a free-agency system similar to practices in the film and sports industries. To avoid testing the law, record labels typically have agreed to rewrite the contracts of disgruntled stars, providing advances, overdue royalties or higher royalty rates. (LATWP)