Friday, November 17, 2006

LONDON, England (AFP): A six-year legal battle over vintage Latin music made famous by the "Buena Vista Social Club" album ended in London Thursday with victory for Cuba over the United States.

US publishing company Peer International Corporation had sought a declaration from the High Court in London that it owned the copyright to 13 songs dating back to the 1930s and made famous by the 1994 album and film.

The firm alleged its catalogue of about 600 titles had been unlawfully taken over by the Cuban government after Fidel Castro seized power in 1959.

But Editora Musical de Cuba (EMC) hit back, claiming it was trying to salvage royalties from songs that had not brought their poverty-stricken authors any financial reward.

Judge John Lindsay, who heard the case in London and Havana from May 2005, ruled Thursday that although there was no evidence that the original composers had been cheated, he was unable to grant the declaration wanted by Peer.

Its claims to ownership of the songs therefore failed, he said.

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