Universal Music Group Denies Fred Durst’s Fraud Claims

UMG has responded to Fred Durst’s lawsuit, claiming it’s all based on fiction and asking the court to dismiss it.

“They’re pretending we hid royalties,” the company argued in a motion filed recently.

Fred Durst had accused the big music company of creating tricky software to hide payments due to artists. He said the company owed Limp Bizkit a whopping $200 million in royalties. Durst wanted full control over his band’s music while accusing UMG of lying and stealing.

However, UMG shared that this issue began when someone at their company emailed Limp Bizkit’s manager about setting up payment profiles for royalties. The manager mentioned most members had sold their shares, but later clarified he meant publishing royalties, not recording ones. UMG included these emails to counter Durst’s claims.

UMG claims they paid over $1 million in back royalties to the band and more than $2 million to Durst’s label, covering all past dues.

Even with these payments, Durst moved to cancel agreements with UMG on September 30, 2024, which led to him suing after UMG denied this cancellation. The lawsuit lists many legal claims against UMG.

Limp Bizkit’s representative insists they’ll rely on evidence and legal proceedings.

“When caught, companies often hire pricey lawyers to dismiss cases,” the rep said. “UMG seems to be desperately clinging to technicalities to escape.”