The family of reggae legend Bob Marley today lost their court battle to own the copyrights of five of his best-known albums and recover millions of US dollars in damages.United States District Judge Denise Cote in Manhattan said the UMG Recordings unit of Vivendi SA’s Universal Music Group is the rightful owner of copyrights to five albums that Marley had recorded between 1973 and 1977 for Island Records. The albums ‘Catch A Fire’, ‘Burnin’’, ‘Natty Dread’, ‘Rastaman Vibrations’ and ‘Exodus’ were recorded with Marley’s band The Wailers. They include some of Marley’s best-known songs, including ‘Get Up’, ‘Stand Up’, ‘I Shot the Sheriff’, ‘No Woman’, ‘No Cry’ and ‘One Love’. Friday’s ruling is a defeat for Marley’s widow Rita and nine children who had sought to recover millions of dollars in damages over UMG’s effort to “exploit” what they called “the quintessential Bob Marley sound recordings”.
