[Dixielandjazz] Bing Crosby: "The Crosby Christmas Sessions" dispute

[Robert Ringwald]

Bing Crosby: "The Crosby Christmas Sessions" dispute

UMG Wants Bing Crosby's Widow's Company Enjoined from Selling Christmas Album
Courthouse News Service, March 2, 2011
LOS ANGELES -- UMG Recordings claims HLC Properties, "a partnership controlled by
Crosby's second wife, Kathryn Crosby," violated a 1943 agreement giving Decca/UMG
exclusive rights to Crosby's Christmas songs, including "White Christmas."
UMG claims that HLC has "clear knowledge of the re-recording restrictions in the
1943 agreement," but released its Christmas album anyway, containing some of Crosby's
most popular songs, including "Adeste Fidelis," "The Christmas Song," "Silent Night,"
and other chestnuts.
Crosby's version of the Irving Berlin tune "White Christmas" has been called the
top-selling single of all time, with more than 50 million discs sold, and the top-selling
song of all time, with more than 100 million sold, as singles and albums.
UMG says HLC breached contract and breached faith and fair dealing by releasing its
own, competing version of the Christmas tunes. It wants distribution of HLC's "The
Crosby Christmas Sessions" enjoined, and damages. It is represented in Superior Court
by Steven Marenberg with Irell and Manella.
Kathryn Crosby is not named as a party.


--Bob Ringwald
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