Billboard.com reports a U.S. District Court judge in Manhattan ruled "the UMG Recordings unit of Vivendi SA’s Universal Music Group is the rightful owner of copyrights to five albums that Marley had recorded between 1973 and 1977 for Island Records."
The albums are: Catch a Fire, Burnin’, Natty Dread, Rastaman Vibrations and Exodus. Bob Marley recorded these five classics with his band The Wailers.
Reggae classics on those albums include Get Up, Stand Up, I Shot the Sheriff, No Woman, No Cry and One Love.
Bob Marley’s widow, Rita Marley, and her nine children were looking to gain millions of dollars in damages. They had accused UMG Recordings of exploiting "the quintessential Bob Marley sound recordings." The family also believed UMG was intentionally withholding royalties from their company, Fifty-Six Hope Road Music Ltd.
The two parties must now enter court-ordered settlement talks starting on October 29.