Judge Sides with Cher in Royalties War, Mary Bono Prepares to Appeal
In a final judgment signed last November, US District Judge John A. Kronstadt has granted Cher almost everything she sought in her four-year royalties war with the late Sonny Bono's widow, Mary Bono. The decision comes after a long and contentious battle over who should receive 50% of the royalties from hit songs such as "I Got You Babe" and "The Beat Goes On."
Kronstadt ruled that California contract law, which governed the divorce agreement between Cher and Sonny, takes precedence over the federal Copyright Act's termination power. This means Mary is barred from using the Copyright Act to reclaim her share of the composition royalties.
However, in a significant victory for Cher, Kronstadt held that she still retains the right to receive her composition and record royalties directly, even though she sold the rights to Irving Azoff's Iconic Artists Group in 2022. This decision blocks Mary's attempt to route payments through the estate without Cher's involvement.
The judge also included language sought by Cher, stating that her right to collect remained intact, along with her approval rights regarding "any and all third-party contracts with respect to the musical compositions."
In a surprising twist, Kronstadt ruled that Cher will be awarded costs as the prevailing party on all but one claim in the case. Mary may recover costs on the single claim she won, involving her authority to select the estate's royalties administrator. Cher also secured language clarifying her right to object to a proposed administrator.
Mary Bono's lawyer vows to appeal the decision, stating that each side "prevailed on certain issues" but believes the judge "got the law wrong on copyright terminations." The lawyer emphasized the importance of authors and their heirs having the rights Congress intended.
Cher, 79, rose to fame alongside Sonny Bono in the 1960s before building a decades-long solo career that brought her numerous awards. Her music publishing grants became eligible for termination beginning in 2018, prompting Mary to reclaim certain interests. The royalties war has been ongoing since then, with Cher fighting to maintain control over her share of the profits.
While the judge's decision may pave the way for Cher to receive substantial legal costs, it remains unclear how far he will go in awarding fees. This ruling is a significant victory for Cher and sets a precedent for similar disputes in the music industry.
In a final judgment signed last November, US District Judge John A. Kronstadt has granted Cher almost everything she sought in her four-year royalties war with the late Sonny Bono's widow, Mary Bono. The decision comes after a long and contentious battle over who should receive 50% of the royalties from hit songs such as "I Got You Babe" and "The Beat Goes On."
Kronstadt ruled that California contract law, which governed the divorce agreement between Cher and Sonny, takes precedence over the federal Copyright Act's termination power. This means Mary is barred from using the Copyright Act to reclaim her share of the composition royalties.
However, in a significant victory for Cher, Kronstadt held that she still retains the right to receive her composition and record royalties directly, even though she sold the rights to Irving Azoff's Iconic Artists Group in 2022. This decision blocks Mary's attempt to route payments through the estate without Cher's involvement.
The judge also included language sought by Cher, stating that her right to collect remained intact, along with her approval rights regarding "any and all third-party contracts with respect to the musical compositions."
In a surprising twist, Kronstadt ruled that Cher will be awarded costs as the prevailing party on all but one claim in the case. Mary may recover costs on the single claim she won, involving her authority to select the estate's royalties administrator. Cher also secured language clarifying her right to object to a proposed administrator.
Mary Bono's lawyer vows to appeal the decision, stating that each side "prevailed on certain issues" but believes the judge "got the law wrong on copyright terminations." The lawyer emphasized the importance of authors and their heirs having the rights Congress intended.
Cher, 79, rose to fame alongside Sonny Bono in the 1960s before building a decades-long solo career that brought her numerous awards. Her music publishing grants became eligible for termination beginning in 2018, prompting Mary to reclaim certain interests. The royalties war has been ongoing since then, with Cher fighting to maintain control over her share of the profits.
While the judge's decision may pave the way for Cher to receive substantial legal costs, it remains unclear how far he will go in awarding fees. This ruling is a significant victory for Cher and sets a precedent for similar disputes in the music industry.
. The judge did seem to rule in favor of Cher, but I guess you can never be too sure about these things 
. It's crazy how long this royalties war has been going on - four years?! That's like, forever in pop culture time 
. Anyway, it's great that Cher is finally coming out on top and getting some of the costs covered 
. The fact that she gets to retain control over her composition and record royalties directly is huge 
. It's clear Mary Bono wants to fight this all the way to the Supreme Court if she has to 
.
It's also interesting to see how the judge ruled in her favor, especially with that language about her approval rights over third-party contracts. I mean, can you imagine if Mary had been able to choose a new admin for Cher's estate without Cher's say-so? That would've been a disaster! 
Anyway, it's great to see Cher come out on top - she's still rocking at 79 and proving that age is just a number! 
. It's crazy that the judge ruled in Cher's favor and said that California contract law trumps the federal Copyright Act - talk about a major victory for the legendary singer! 
And to make matters even better, Cher is going to get some costly reimbursement from Mary Bono, which is just the icing on the cake 
. I'm sure it's been a wild ride for both sides of the family, but in the end, justice seems to have been served 
. Can't wait to see what's next for this iconic music icon!
So Mary Bono thought she could just take on Cher like she was a rookie singer trying to make it big... but nope! Judge Kronstadt sided with Cher like they were old friends at a karaoke night 
. I mean, who doesn't love Cher's iconic songs like "I Got You Babe"? The judge basically said Mary has to get permission from Cher before sending any money her way, talk about a power move 
! Now we just gotta see how much cash Mary gets back on the table after this whole ordeal 
.
I just can't even with this royalties war thingy! Like Mary Bono was all bent out of shape bc her hubby's widow (Cher) sold off her rights to some record label, but really she just didn't wanna share the cash 
. I mean I feel bad for Mary, but come on, it's not like it's a life or death situation... although lol if you're an artist who cares about your own work that much then maybe this is a big deal? 
. So Cher gets to keep all her royalties from "I Got You Babe" and "The Beat Goes On", but only because she sold them to Iconic Artists Group like 4 years ago... it's a bit weird that the judge is basically saying she has to fight for something she already gave up on herself 
. And now Mary's gonna appeal, which means we'll just be stuck in this limbo forever 
. It's not even about the money, it's about control and who gets to make decisions about Cher's own music legacy... can't help but feel for Mary 
this is like the BEST news EVER! Judge Kronstadt is literally on Cher's side 100%! I'm so proud of her for fighting to protect her rights as an artist. This decision is gonna make it super hard for Mary Bono to get what she wants, and I am HERE. FOR. IT 
.
I mean, come on! It's not like Mary Bono didn't have a right to try and get some of those royalties for her late husband. But at the same time, Cher was totally in the wrong here... wait, no, that's not true either! 
If we're talking about copyright law, I'm basically a huge expert and judge John A. Kronstadt definitely got it right. The California contract law thing is like super clear and stuff. But if I had to pick, I guess I'd say Cher should've just sold those rights to Iconic Artists Group in the first place... no, scratch that! 
What really matters here is that Mary Bono's lawyer is going to appeal, which means we'll have to sit through another whole mess. And Cher gets to keep her costs, yay? I guess.
and now she'll get to reap the benefits (literally) but it's still kinda crazy how this whole thing went down...
. It's not like they have anything better to do than sue each other over money