He may have been one of the most successful recording artists in history, but that hasn’t stopped the corporate group responsible for managing Elvis Presley’s assets from filing a new lawsuit claiming that the singer was “unjustly exploited during his lifetime by his record company,” and all because no-one saw things like ringtones or digital downloads coming way back when.
The lawsuit, filed by Elvis Presley Enterprises against Arista Music—formerly RCA Music, Presley’s label, and now a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment—claims that, not only was the 1973 contract drawn up by Presley’s manager “Colonel” Tom Parker unfairly disproportionate in the amount of royalties it awarded Presley, but that Arista has used modern technology to profit in ways that “Presley himself could not have dreamed would someday exist.”
The suit seeks proper payment for new media income generated by Presley’s recordings, and was filed in Germany to take advantage of that country’s “equitable remuneration” rights. Artsta Music has not released comment on the lawsuit at this time.
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Graeme McMillan is a reporter at TIME. Find him on Twitter at @Graemem or on Facebook at Facebook/Graeme.McMillan. You can also continue the discussion on TIME’s Facebook page and on Twitter at @TIME.