Sony Music Settles Whitney Houston Biopic Lawsuit

Sony Music accused four production companies of unauthorized use regarding Houston’s songs.

Sony Music has reached a settlement with the producers of the biopic Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody.

The lawsuit, filed in February, claimed that the four production companies— Anthem Films, NYBO Productions, and Black Label Media— failed to pay for licenses to 24 of Houston’s songs.

According to the motion obtained by Reuters, Sony Music agreed to dismiss the case last month. The parties told the court they had agreed to a settlement but requested an extension to finalize the details.

The lawsuit claimed that the production companies signed a sync license agreement that allowed them to use the sound recordings of nearly 30 of Houston’s classics, including “How Will I Know,” ” I Wanna Dance With Somebody, Will Always Love You,” and her 1991 rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Sony Music claims that the licensing fees were due in July 2023 per its agreement, but by August 2023 it still hadn’t received payment. Sony Music asserts that Anthem was waiting on a tax credit from the State of Massachusetts. According to the plaintiff, the payment never materialized.

“As a result of Anthem’s failure to pay the fees to SME, it is clear that there was no license or authorization to use the SME Recordings used in the Film,” the lawsuit states.

Sony Music claimed that the film’s producers, Anthem Films, entered into a licensing agreement with the record company on December 5, 2022 —two weeks before the movie’s release.

“Unlike other types of films, musical biopics by their nature require the use of the subject musician’s music, as it is nearly impossible to explain the importance of a musician’s creative genius or unique style and talent without the use of the musician’s music,” the record label’s lawyers wrote.

The original lawsuit requested at least $3.6 million in damages. Details of the settlement have yet to be released.