Village People lead singer wins court victory for major copyrights

Victor Willis regains ownership of hits like 'Y.M.C.A.' and 'Macho Man'

By AP Staff Wednesday, May 9, 2012 12:32 PM

Village People's "Macho Man"

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A judge in Los Angeles says the original lead singer of the Village People can reclaim at least partial ownership of the copyrights to more than two dozen of the group's songs, including "Y.M.C.A.," ''Macho Man," and "In the Navy."

U.S. District Judge Barry T. Moskowitz on Monday rejected a lawsuit by two music publishers who argued Victor Willis had no right to regain ownership of 33 songs he co-wrote for the group under contract.

It's the first test of a decades-old copyright provision and could mean millions in additional royalties for Willis.

The former San Diego resident tells U-T San Diego (http://bit.ly/J4txjZ) that the ruling benefits all songwriters.

But Stewart Levy, an attorney for Scorpio Music and Can't Stop Productions, tells the New York Times that it doesn't lay out how much Willis will get and the case is far from over.

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