Report: HENDRIX Estate Sued by British Indie

February 4, 2004

The U.K.-based independent record label Purple Haze Records has taken action against the lawyers of the Jimi Hendrix company Experience Hendrix LLC and the company itself for malicious interference with a third-party contract, according to Australia's Undercover News.

Purple Haze Records, who recently released a CD of a 1966 Jimi Hendrix concert in Stockholm, claim that they are the legitimate owners of the rights to the recordings.

"On 1st December 1966, James Marshall Hendrix, known as Jimi Hendrix, signed a contract with Yameta Co Ltd.," Lawrence from Purple Haze Records told Undercover News. "This contract was for all activities including performance, recording, writing, production and all media within the entertainment business. In 1975, after Hendrix died, the rights that belonged to Yameta Co Ltd. were transferred to John A Hillman, who had set up Yameta and ran the company throughout. The license given to Purple Haze Records Ltd. is directly from John A Hillman, formerly (c) (p) Yameta Co Ltd., the rightful owner of all Hendrix material."

According to Purple Haze, they went out of their way to clear the issue before the release of the album. "We have invited Reed Wasson (the attorney for Experience Hendrix LLC) and Eversheds (U.K. solicitors for Experience Hendrix LLC) to show proof of title for the Jimi Hendrix rights from 1st December 1966, when Jimi Hendrix signed a contract of employment with Yameta Co Ltd.," Lawrence said. "Experience Hendrix LLC has refused to show any proof of title for the Jimi Hendrix rights. Reed Wasson has refused to show any proof of title for the Jimi Hendrix rights. Eversheds has refused to show any proof of title for the Jimi Hendrix rights. Purple Haze Records Ltd. has invited the above parties 10 times to show proof of title [but] they have refused."

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