Capitol Records Claim Beatles Under Label’s Sole Ownership In Court
CHICAGO — The Beatles continued to generate their own peculiar brand of legal heat between Capitol, Vee Jay and Swan here last week.
An injunction issued in Circuit Court restraining Vee Jay from selling Beatles product is still in force. Vee Jay was denied a motion to dissolve the injunction by Judge Cornelius Harrington.
However, the Chicago-based recording company gave notice through its attorney Robert Downing that it had a right of appeal which it planned to exercise this week.
Meanwhile, a hearing on the merits of the case has been referred to a Master in Chancery, with a date not announced as of press time.
Also involved is a Capitol petition to have Vee Jay and M-S Distributing Company held in contempt of court for allegedly continuing to sell Beatles product.
The court denied M-S’ motion to be dismissed and ruled the Chicago distributorship had to answer the Capitol petition. This also will be done’ when the case is heard before the Master.
The legal maneuvering in the case has virtually matched the feverish excitement which the Beatles – oblivious to everything – are generating wherever they go.
At last Thursday’s hearing, counsel for Capitol, Vee Jay and M-S Distributing Company easily outnumbered the handful of spectators in the courtroom.
At one point, four teen-age girls entered quietly, evidently hoping to catch a glimpse of the mop-headed English four, but left after it became apparent this was an afternoon for serious matters only. END
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Information and news source: Billboard; February 8, 1964
