In a legal battle that underscores the complexities of music copyright and ownership, Lawn Music Company has filed a lawsuit against Embassy Music Corporation, Music Sales Corporation, and Wise Music Group. The complaint was lodged by Michael Brown on April 9, 2025, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The lawsuit accuses these entities of unauthorized exploitation of Lawn Music's catalog through fraudulent ownership claims and copyright infringement.
The roots of this case trace back to Joe Brown, who founded his first record label in 1946 and established Lawn Music Company in 1956. Over decades, Joe Brown amassed a significant catalog of original musical compositions. In 1964, Lawn Music entered into an exclusive license agreement with Frederick Music Company to exploit its catalog globally while retaining full ownership rights. However, things took a turn in 1993 when Frederick Music allegedly facilitated a fraudulent agreement involving Ora Mae Goggins, who falsely claimed ownership of Lawn Music. This misrepresentation led to further unauthorized transfers of rights to the defendants in 1996.
The plaintiff contends that these actions violated federal copyright laws under the U.S. Copyright Act and breached the terms of their original agreements. "Frederick Music knowingly relied on false representation," the complaint states, highlighting how these fraudulent activities have perpetuated over time through subsequent transactions involving Embassy Music Corporation and others.
Lawn Music is seeking multiple forms of relief from the court: they want all fraudulent agreements declared null and void; an immediate injunction to stop ongoing unauthorized licensing; recovery of damages and royalties lost due to these illegal actions; and restoration of their rights under federal law.
Representing Michael Brown are attorneys whose names were not specified in the document. The case is presided over by Judge Joan B. Gottschall with Magistrate Judge Jeffrey T. Gilbert assisting, filed under Case ID 1:25-cv-03852.