Fred Durst and Limp Bizkit weren’t doing it all for the nookie — they needed their cash additionally.
The $200 million lawsuit filed by the band over unpaid royalties is rollin’ ahead after a decide dominated in opposition to Common Music Group’s movement to dismiss. Filed in October in L.A.’s Central District, the swimsuit says that as of April 2024, the plaintiffs “had not seen a dime in royalties on any Limp Bizkit belongings.”
The criticism additionally accuses UMG of getting a “fraudulent” system in place “to hide artists’ royalties and hold these earnings for itself.”
In his 17-page ruling this week (learn it right here), Choose Percy Anderson wrote: “The Court docket denies the Movement to Dismiss difficult the sufficiency of the copyright claims. Defendant shall file its Reply to the copyright claims asserted within the 1st AC by no later than April 7, 2025.”
The lawsuit by Durst and the nü steel band (learn it right here), of which he’s the controlling member, claims that in early 2024, as they had been driving a resurgence in recognition, “UMG repeatedly requested Durst to get concerned with the twenty fifth anniversary re-release of Limp Bizkit’s album ‘Important Different.’ … Durst replied that he didn’t approve any ‘new artwork, new tracks, unreleased tracks, new variations of songs, new mastering, or remixes, and so forth.’ as a result of it appeared like a ‘cash seize’ that will solely profit UMG, as Plaintiffs had not seen a dime in royalties on any Limp Bizkit belongings at that time.
“The truth that UMG had sought to use Limp Bizkit’s belongings exhibits that they knew that they might generate vital revenues as a result of band’s newly reignited recognition,” the swimsuit provides. “Thus, UMG knew that, though Limp Bizkit’s belongings had been producing thousands and thousands in earnings for UMG and Flip Information, and might be additional exploited to generate much more, that UMG had nonetheless by no means paid Limp Bizkit a cent in royalties on any of these belongings.”
Launched on UMG-controlled Flip Information in 1999, Important Different was the primary of two back-to-back chart-topping, multiplatinum albums for the rap-rock band from Jacksonville, FL. It and 2000 follow-up Chocolate Starfish and the Sizzling Canine Flavored Water generated 4 Prime 10 singles on Billboard’s Mainstream and Trendy Rock charts: “Nookie,” “Re-Organized,” Rollin’,” and “My Method.” It additionally had a Prime 10 Trendy Rock hit with “Take a Look Round,” from the movie Mission: Inconceivable 2.
The group’s recognition led to a late-bill slot at Woodstock 1999. Violence broke out throughout their Limp Bizkit’s set as followers destroyed a fringe fence and several other had been harm attempting to crowdsurf. Durst typically is cited as being a catalyst for the mayhem, however, as then-manager Peter Katsis stated within the 2022 Netflix docuseries Trainwreck: Woodstock ’99, “Pointing the finger at Fred is about the very last thing anyone ought to do. There actually isn’t a method to management 300,000 folks.”
The band additionally hit the Prime 5 with its 2003 album Outcomes Might Fluctuate however didn’t match that success with future releases.
Durst since has loved an performing profession, showing lately in awards-season pic I Noticed the TV Glow and Y2K. He additionally has directed movies together with The Fanatic and The Longshots.
