Global Publishing has signed the Script to join its growing roster alongside recent signings the Vamps, Jungle, Say Lou Lou and Elyar Fox. With more than 20 million in record sales, two U.K. No. 1 albums and five platinum U.S. singles, the Script’s popularity has been cemented in the United Kingdom and internationally. The band’s 2013 hit “Hall of Fame” has generated more than 100 million YouTube views and Spotify plays. Meanwhile, British group the Vamps, who are hotly tipped for 2014, scored a No. 2 hit with their first single “Can We Dance,” and will release second single “Wild Heart” on Jan. 18. Global’s new signings join a boutique roster of songwriters including Corinne Bailey Rae, Ellie Goulding, Lawson and the Vaccines.
Warner/Chappell Music has signed a worldwide publishing agreement with Mercury artist Chris Stapleton. Warner/Chappell will publish Stapleton’s songwriting catalog as well as all of his future work. Stapleton has scored five No. 1s on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart since moving to Nashville in 2001: George Strait’s “Love’s Gonna Make It Alright,” Darius Rucker’s “Come Back Song,” Josh Turner’s “Your Man,” Kenny Chesney’s “Never Wanted Nothing More” and Luke Bryan’s “Drink a Beer,” which he co-wrote. Throughout his career, Stapleton has placed more than 170 songs on albums by such artists as Adele, Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton and Jason Aldean, and the six-time ASCAP award winner has written with Vince Gill, Sheryl Crow and Peter Frampton. Stapleton has also contributed to the soundtracks to “Cars 2″ and ”Valentine’s Day.”
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of the Jimi Hendrix estate in a battle against online vendor Hendrix Licensing, which sold T-shirts, posters and other items designed to capitalize on the fame of the rock legend. In February 2011, a federal judge surprised legal observers by finding that Washington state’s publicity rights law violated the due process of the Constitution by allowing non-domiciled celebrities to come to the state to take advantage of the generous likeness statutes of Washington, where Hendrix was born but did not reside at the time of his death. On Jan. 29, the appeals court reversed that ruling and handed the estate additional victories on the trademark front. Hendrix Licensing is run by Andrew Pitsicalis, a business partner of Jimi’s younger brother Leon. The Hendrix estate, meanwhile, is controlled by Janie, the Hendrix brothers’ adopted sister.