A federal judge just shot down Salt-N-Pepa’s case against UMG, claiming they never owned their masters. A tough lesson in copyright for the iconic duo.
A US District Court judge has dismissed the lawsuit brought by Grammy-winning rap duo Salt-N-Pepa against Universal Music Group (UMG). The court ruled that the artists never held the copyrights to their sound recordings, which means they can’t reclaim them. This decision emerged from a case filed back in May 2025, where the duo sought to regain their copyrights and physical master recordings.
Judge Denise Cote issued her ruling on January 8, affirming UMG’s motion to dismiss both claims from Salt-N-Pepa. The duo attempted to utilize their termination rights under Section 203 of the Copyright Act, allowing artists to reclaim ownership of their work 35 years after its initial transfer. Salt-N-Pepa filed a Notice of Termination with UMG in March 2022, with a potential termination date of May 15, 2024.
However, Judge Cote ruled that the agreements from 1986, which were relied upon by Salt-N-Pepa, do not indicate that they ever owned the copyrights to their recordings. The judge pointed out that the agreements clearly designated Noise In The Attic Productions, Inc. (NITA), owned by their producer Hurby Azor, as the sole owner of those rights.
Specifically, the 1986 NITA Recording Agreement stated that NITA “shall be the sole and exclusive owner of any and all rights, title and/or interest in and to master recordings.” Furthermore, a distribution agreement signed by Azor and Next Plateau Records transferred those rights. Judge Cote noted that it was only NITA and Azor who had transferred rights to Next Plateau Records.
Salt-N-Pepa’s argument rested on an inducement letter they signed, which they believed granted their rights directly to Next Plateau Records. Yet, Judge Cote rejected this interpretation, affirming that the letter acknowledged NITA’s ownership of the copyrights. She stated, “The statutory text in § 203 is clear: Plaintiffs can only terminate copyright transfers that they executed.” In this case, that didn’t include any that were executed by NITA.
The judge also dismissed a conversion claim made by Salt-N-Pepa, which alleged that UMG interfered with their possession of their master tapes. Cote ruled that the duo failed to prove ownership of these tapes.
In light of the ruling, UMG commented, emphasizing their willingness to resolve matters amicably and focus on promoting Salt-N-Pepa’s legacy. They expressed satisfaction with the court’s dismissal, stating that such a lawsuit should never have been initiated. The spokesperson underscored their efforts to improve compensation for the artists and ensure that fans have access to their music.