30 Seconds To Mars Sued for $30 Million

Billboard.com has reported that the Jared Leto-fronted modern rock band 30 Seconds To Mars is being sued for $30 million dollars by Virgin Records.

“Virgin is suing the band for alleged breach of contract and damages “in excess of $30,000,000″, according to paperwork filed Friday (Aug. 15) in Los Angeles Superior Court.

Virgin accuses Jared and Shannon Leto of not delivering three of the five albums under the band’s contract, which it entered into in 1999 with Immortal Records. Virgin took over the contract in 2004, according to the suit, which adds that the Letos “repudiated” the 1999 contract “and claimed that they were excused from such performance from and after July 4, 2008, pursuant to California Labor Code Sec. 2855(a). The law governs the ability of entertainers to terminate their contracts after seven years.”

The band has responded via internet postings by Leto. It looks as if they intend to fight the lawsuit.

“So, as you may have heard we are being sued by our former record company for the ridiculously oversized, totally unrealistic and pretty silly (but slightly clever) sum of $30,000,000. Insane? Yea that’s what we said too.” Leto makes various claims in his posting, stating that the band were unhappy that they had sold two million albums yet were “still $1.4 million in debt” and that the “next record we make will be used to pay off that old supposed debt.”

It is interesting to see how this will play out, it seems to be the old major label swindle. Though, it is very possible for the band to walk away unharmed as I have heard about other artists safely ending their contract after 7 years in the state of California. For more info…

Source.

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