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Dance

Martin Garrix Gets Major Victory In Lawsuit Against Spinnin' Records

By Tatiana Cirisano
9/20/2017
By Tatiana Cirisano
9/20/2017
Martin Garrix attends the MTV Europe Music Awards 2016 on Nov. 6, 2016 in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
 Dave Hogan/MTV 2016/Getty Images

Martin Garrix attends the MTV Europe Music Awards 2016 on Nov. 6, 2016 in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Martin Garrix's two-year legal battle regarding music ownership rights against Spinnin' Records is over -- and so is his relationship with the dance record label.

Early Wednesday morning (Sept. 20), a Dutch judge ruled in favor of Garrix's effort to win back the rights to music he previously signed to Spinnin' Records and its sister company, MusicAllStars management, according to Dutch publication Rechtspraak. As a result, Garrix's contract with the label has been destroyed, and the young Dutch producer is reclaiming the rights to the masters on tracks including his monster hit “Animals.”

“I am happy with this outcome, not only for myself but also for all other DJ's/producers out there, since this case was not only about me, but about all of us artists," Garrix said in a statement.

Artist Mentioned

Martin Garrix

The ruling comes after a lengthy -- and at times, thorny -- dispute between Garrix (real name Martijn Garritsen) and the label, which counts heavy-hitters like Tiësto and Afrojack among its alums.

Garrix first split with Spinnin' in 2015, citing a disagreement over ownership rights of his music. He later filed a lawsuit against former manager Eelko van Kooten, who Garrix claims provided "false and misleading information" that led him to sign with the label and management company back in 2012, renewing his contract in 2013. Garrix also claimed that van Kooten's involvement in both Spinnin' and MusicAllStars represented a conflict of interest, and that van Kooten intentionally misled Garrix into thinking he had no option but to sign a combination contract.

But the legal proceedings have yet to reach the finish line. Dutch online newspaper NU.nl reports that Garrix is demanding €3.7 million (roughly $4.4 million) from Spinnin' and €650,000 (nearly $780,000) from MusicAllStars, which in turn want Garrix to fork over €6.4 million ($7.7 million). Garrix's team has told Billboard, "All of Spinnin/MAS' claims have been rejected by the court. The only remaining question is the amount to be repaid by Spinnin/MAS to Martijn." 

Meanwhile, Warner Music recently purchased Spinnin' Records and its music publishing and artist management divisions, and van Kooten exited the company. The label's current roster includes Bob Sinclar, EDX, Fedde Le Grand and Kris Kross Amsterdam, among others.

By Tatiana Cirisano
9/20/2017

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