My name is Bella. I am a Web Developer, and I'm very passionate and dedicated to my work. With 20 years experience as a professional Web developer, I have acquired the skills and knowledge necessary to make your project a success. I enjoy every step of the design process, from discussion and collaboration.
SOURCE: people.com
A federal judge has dismissed Salt-N-Pepa’s lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG), ruling that the hip-hop duo did not plausibly establish ownership of the copyrights and master recordings at the center of the dispute.
On Thursday, Jan. 8, U.S. District Judge Denise Cote granted UMG’s motion to dismiss the filing in the Southern District of New York, according to court docs obtained by PEOPLE, thereby closing the case brought by Cheryl James and Sandra Denton, known famously as Salt-N-Pepa, who had sued the label in May 2025 seeking to reclaim rights to their early sound recordings.
In dismissing the lawsuit, Judge Cote ruled that the artists could not reclaim the recordings under the Copyright Act because they never owned — and therefore never transferred — the copyrights they were seeking to terminate.
“Even viewed in the light most favorable to Plaintiffs, the 1986 agreements do not indicate that Plaintiffs ever owned the copyrights to the sound recordings or that they granted a transfer of those rights to anyone else,” the judge wrote. Federal law allows termination rights only to authors who executed the original grant, and the court emphasized that “Plaintiffs can only terminate copyright transfers that they executed.”
Because the complaint failed to allege that such a qualifying transfer ever occurred, Judge Cote concluded that “Plaintiffs do not plausibly allege a claim for declaratory relief and Count One is dismissed in full.”
UMG shared a statement with PEOPLE following the judge’s decision to dismiss the filing, stating: “While we are gratified that the court dismissed this baseless lawsuit, it should never have been brought in the first place. Prior to this suit — and without any legal obligation to do so — we made multiple attempts to resolve the matter amicably, improve the artists’ compensation, and ensure that Salt-N-Pepa’s fans had access to their music.”
“Even with the court’s complete rejection of their claims, we remain open and willing to find a resolution to the matter and turn the page so we can focus our efforts on working together to amplify Salt-N-Pepa’s legacy for generations to come.”
The Grammy-winning artists filed the lawsuit in May 2025 against UMG, accusing the label of refusing to honor their legal right to reclaim ownership of their master recordings under the U.S. Copyright Act, and retaliating by pulling their music from streaming platforms.
The complaint explained that Salt-N-Pepa followed a copyright law that lets artists take back control of their music 35 years after signing away the rights, and they officially notified Universal of their decision in 2022. According to the suit, UMG rejected the notices and subsequently removed “Push It,” “Shoop,” “Let’s Talk About Sex” and the group’s other songs from major U.S. streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music while allegedly continuing to claim ownership of the recordings.
Salt-N-Pepa argued that UMG’s actions have effectively frozen their ability to profit from their own work while also diminishing the value of their catalog. The lawsuit accuses UMG of “conversion” — wrongfully exercising control over their property — and seeks declaratory relief, damages, and a permanent injunction to stop UMG from interfering with their rights.
The suit also highlights the duo’s enduring influence, noting that their recordings have earned millions in royalties and sync deals over the years and continue to resonate with new generations of fans. Their 1987 hit “Push It” alone has been streamed more than 210 million times on Spotify.
