The artist’s legal team termed the recent removal of Four Tet’s Domino-released EP from streaming services as “deliberate, cynical, and outrageous.”
Four Tet is now involved in a legal struggle with Domino about digital royalties, with the record company recently deciding to pull his albums from streaming platforms until the case was being resolved. ‘Pause,’ ‘Rounds,’ and ‘Everything Ecstatic’ were the albums that were eliminated.
The artist’s legal team attempted to amend the lawsuit to include a claim of breach of contract or restraint of trade in the most recent pre-trial hearing, which took place remotely. The former claim was approved by Deputy Judge Pat Treacy, but the latter was dismissed.
Four Tet stated on social media that Domino deleted the records from streaming platforms “to try and stop the legal dispute,” while Carter said that the removal was “an act of fundamental breach to try and avoid the court ruling on its previous acts of breach.”
After the removal of the three records, Kieran Hebden, popularly known as Four Tet, and his legal team are now pursuing recapture of the rights to the album’s original masters. Fans will not be able to listen to the three albums until their copyright expires 70 years after its original release, because of Domino’s removal from streaming sites.
Tom Richards of Blackstone Chambers, Domino’s lawyer, testified in court that the label had offered Hebden an out-of-court settlement to avoid the case coming to trial and incurring costs for everyone concerned. Domino had offered to pay Hebden’s legal costs as well as the full sum he was liable to, according to Richards. Hebden, he said, turned down the offer.
The case will proceed into the new year, and it may be elevated to the High Court because to its complexity. Because of the costs, Hebden and his legal team are hoping to avoid this outcome.
