High Court Dismisses Royalties Claim

Justice Edwin Johnson ruled the 1966 recording agreement gave exclusive worldwide copyright to producers Michael Jeffery and Chas Chandler, and that those rights later passed to the Hendrix estate. Sony, the catalog’s licensee, therefore owes no performance royalties to the estates of Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell.

BillboardRolling StoneForbesThe GuardianJimi Hendrix bandmates' heirs lose royalties trial to Sony Music

The Jimi Hendrix Experience included Hendrix, Redding and Mitchell. The 1966 contract with Jeffery and Chandler declared the producers owned “the copyright throughout the world in all sound recordings of performances of musical works by the artists.” After Hendrix’s 1970 death, Jeffery and Chandler transferred those copyrights to Hendrix estate.

Billboard

In 2021 Lawrence Abramson claimed the estates were owed millions from billions of streams. Lawsuits were filed in New York and London, with UK case prioritized. The estates cited 1973 buyouts—$100,000 to Redding and $247,500 to Mitchell—showing they had relinquished claims, a point judge cited in dismissing the case.

Rolling Stone

The case involved three studio albums—*Are You Experienced*, *Axis: Bold as Love* and *Electric Ladyland*—all multi-platinum. *Are You Experienced* sold over six million copies; *Electric Ladyland* over three million, both certified platinum in December 2025. The heirs said streaming generated billions of plays, equating to “millions of pounds” in unpaid royalties.

Forbes

Janie Hendrix, CEO of Experience Hendrix, praised the decision as protecting her brother’s legacy. Sony Music and Experience Hendrix issued a statement thanking courts for ending four-year litigation and confirming their right to exploit the catalog. A Sony Music Entertainment UK spokesperson added that the court found no infringement of rights.

Billboard

Representatives of the Redding and Mitchell estates contended that the 1966 agreement should not extinguish performance-rights claims, especially given streaming. Their filings sought recognition of co-ownership and compensation for alleged unpaid royalties.

Forbes

The estates have not responded publicly since the ruling, leaving their perspective undocumented. Cited sources uniformly describe the judge’s interpretation of the contract; no alternative legal analyses appear in the coverage.

Billboard

• “Jimi’s music is more than a catalog — it’s a living piece of our family’s soul, filled with his spirit, his passion, and his truth,” — Janie Hendrix, CEO, Experience Hendrix

Rolling Stone

• “It is difficult to see how this could have been expressed more clearly.” — Justice Edwin Johnson, High Court

Billboard

• “The rights referred to in [this contract] comprised ‘the copyright throughout the world in all sound recordings of performances of musical works by the artists,’” — Justice Edwin Johnson

Billboard

• “thankful that this litigation, which has lasted over four years, has come to an end.” — Sony Music spokesperson

Billboard

Sony will continue distributing the Experience catalog under its 2009 license with Experience Hendrix, while the confirmed chain of title may enable reissues and streaming expansions. The estates’ ability to pursue additional royalty claims appears legally constrained.

Billboard