Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

Entertainment Law & FinanceKickerFeaturesTopicsLitigationSectionsNewsLJN Newsletters

Limitations Period Bars Claim to Monies From Photos of Robert Johnson

By Stan Soocher
February 28, 2014

The Supreme Court of Mississippi decided that the estate of the sister of blues legend Robert Johnson waited too long to file suit to obtain royalties and fees from two rare photos of Johnson. Anderson v. LaVere, 2012-CA-00601. Johnson died in 1938. In 1974, his half-sister Carrie Thompson entered into an agency agreement for music producer Steven LaVere to exploit Johnson content. LaVere then procured a deal with CBS Records, today owned by Sony Music. When Thompson died in 1983, she left her estate to her half-sister Annye Anderson and grandson Robert Harris. In 1990, CBS released The Complete Recordings of Robert Johnson, which included the two photos in the packaging. In 1991, a state judge appointed an administrator for Robert Johnson's estate and, in 1998, the Mississippi Chancery Court ruled that Johnson's son Claud was sole heir of the blues artist's estate.

Anderson and Harris sued Johnson, LaVere and Sony Music in 2000 over monies earned from the photos. The causes of action included fraud, unjust enrichment and breach of fiduciary duty. The case heated up in 2011 when Sony sought to use the two Robert Johnson photos on The Centennial Collection.

This premium content is locked for Entertainment Law & Finance subscribers only

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473

Read These Next
Law Firms are Reducing Redundant Real Estate by Bringing Support Services Back to the Office Image

A trend analysis of the benefits and challenges of bringing back administrative, word processing and billing services to law offices.

Bit Parts Image

Summary Judgment Denied Defendant in Declaratory Action by Producer of To Kill a Mockingbird Broadway Play Seeking Amateur Theatrical Rights

Risks of “Baseball Arbitration” in Resolving Real Estate Disputes Image

“Baseball arbitration” refers to the process used in Major League Baseball in which if an eligible player's representative and the club ownership cannot reach a compensation agreement through negotiation, each party enters a final submission and during a formal hearing each side — player and management — presents its case and then the designated panel of arbitrators chooses one of the salary bids with no other result being allowed. This method has become increasingly popular even beyond the sport of baseball.

Disconnect Between In-House and Outside Counsel Image

'Disconnect Between In-House and Outside Counsel is a continuation of the discussion of client expectations and the disconnect that often occurs. And although the outside attorneys should be pursuing how inside-counsel actually think, inside counsel should make an effort to impart this information without waiting to be asked.

Bankruptcy Sales: Finding a Diamond In the Rough Image

There is no efficient market for the sale of bankruptcy assets. Inefficient markets yield a transactional drag, potentially dampening the ability of debtors and trustees to maximize value for creditors. This article identifies ways in which investors may more easily discover bankruptcy asset sales.