Andre Yoskowitz
8 Sep 2009 2:30
Mexican police have raided the offices of Sony Music in Mexico City this week, seizing master recordings, albums, and cover art of the Grammy award winning artist Alejandro Fernández.
The police were working from a court order.
Fernández spent the first 10 years of his career signed to Sony Music, but left in 2008 for a new deal with Universal. Sony was taking unreleased material from the popular singer, and making an album with it, even though the singer is no longer part of the label. Fernández believes Sony has no right to do so and received the court order.
"Sony assumed that they could take tracks that weren't part of previous albums and release them as an eighth album, as if it were new material, over which they had rights," said Jose Luis Caballero, Fernández's attorney. "It's perfectly clear that the company's contract is limited to seven albums."
During the raid, police seized almost 6500 CDs, master recordings and cover art.
Sony called the raid "surprising and disappointing" and adds "we trust that the Mexican courts will confirm our rights as soon as possible."