Sony settles ‘Iron Man’ copyright case with songwriter

Sony Music and rapper Ghostface Killah have settled a copyright dispute with the composer of the 1960s “Iron Man” theme song.

Songwriter Jack Urbont had filed a lawsuit five years ago accusing Ghostface Killah, whose real name is Dennis Coles, of sampling his “Iron Man” theme music on two tracks of his second album, “Supreme Clientele”, which was released by Sony and Razor Sharp Records.

In November 2014, the US District Court for the Southern District of New York issued a default judgment in favour of the songwriter. Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald ordered Coles to pay Urbont around $3,800 in legal costs.

Urbont then moved for partial summary judgment, while Sony and Razor Sharp Records cross-moved for summary judgment.

Buchwald denied Urbont’s motion and granted Sony’s.

She held that the song was a “work for hire” because it was composed at the “instance and expense” of Marvel, which created the Iron man character, and therefore Marvel owned the composition.

“We find that Sony has demonstrated that the Iron Man composition was made for hire, defeating Urbont’s claim of ownership and entitling Sony to summary judgment on Urbont’s federal claim,” Buchwald held.

She added that Urbont had not presented evidence of an ownership agreement with Marvel that would allow him to overcome the presumption that the work was for hire.

In May 2015, the court denied a motion for reconsideration.

The US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit revived the lawsuit in July this year, ruling in favour of Urbont.

Buchwald dismissed the case on Thursday, October 6. Terms of the settlement have not been disclosed.

The track in question featured on the 1960s television show “The Marvel Super Heroes” and was part of the soundtrack to the 2008 “Iron Man” film.