When Cher officially split with her partner in life and business, Sonny Bono, in 1978, their divorce settlement left Bono with ownership of their song catalog, including such hits as "I Got You Babe" and "The Beat Goes On," and Cher with a 50% stake in publishing royalties. A few years back, however, Bono's widow, Mary Bono, threw a wrench into that arrangement when she tried to wrest back control of all the publishing rights to her late husband's songs. This week, a California federal judge ruled in favor of Cher, per Rolling Stone. How it all played out:
- Mary Bono's beef: After Sonny Bono died in 1998, Cher and his heirs worked out a partnership. Then, in 2016, Mary Bono invoked the Copyright Act, specifically the section on termination rights, which asserts that songwriters and their heirs have the right to wrest back US publishing rights after 35 years. Then, in 2021, Bono informed Cher she soon wouldn't receive any more royalties, leading to a lawsuit from Cher.