Australian star Olivia Newton-John has settled with Universal Music International in a lawsuit alleging she was deprived off 1 million dollars in royalties from the hugely popular Grease soundtrack.
Washington, Dec 5 : Australian star Olivia Newton-John has settled with Universal Music International in a lawsuit alleging she was deprived off 1 million dollars in royalties from the hugely popular 'Grease' soundtrack.
According to documents filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, both the sides have brokered a deal contingent upon "the satisfactory completion of specified terms."
However, they did not reveal the terms of the agreement, but lawyers for both sides planned to ask Superior Court Judge Maureen Duffy-Lewis to dismiss the case at a Jan. 15 hearing, so that the trial on March 3 can be avoided.
The 59-year-old actress filed suit against UMI, the foreign division of record giant Universal Music Group, in December 2006 claiming the company had failed to adequately compensate her for the long-term sales of the hit soundtrack of the broadway-musical's interpretation on the big screen.
Based in the Netherlands, UMI filed a motion last June seeking to have the case tossed because the company was not properly notified of the lawsuit and has no business dealings in California.
Judge Duffy-Lewis denied the request, pointing out that Universal was within the jurisdiction as it sends royalty statements to Newton-John's company, ON-J Productions, in California.
The judge, in a four-page opinion, even added that Newton-John properly informed the firm about the legal action, reports E! Online.
Newton-John did her biggest role where she played Sandy, the Goody Two-shoes who becomes hopelessly devoted to John Travolta's Danny Zucko, the bad-boy leader of Rydell High's T-Bird gang.
The movie was a breakthrough hit and was re-released in 1998 to mark its 20th anniversary.
ANI