US Appeals Court Orders Supertramp Singer To Share Royalties With Ex-Bandmates

The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that Supertramp's former frontman Roger Hodgson must continue sharing songwriting royalties with his former bandmates John Helliwell, Robert Siebenberg, and Dougie Thomson, overturning a 2024 jury verdict that allowed Hodgson to terminate the 1977 revenue-sharing agreement after a 'reasonable time.' The appeals court determined that the contract's duration is implicitly tied to the lifespan of the copyrights on the band's songs, which will last until the works enter the public domain, at which point royalty obligations cease. Hodgson had stopped paying royalties in 2018, prompting the bandmates to sue for breach of contract. The ruling emphasized that the agreement obligates Hodgson to share royalties as long as the catalog generates revenue, referencing the band’s hits like 'Give A Little Bit' and the successful 1979 album 'Breakfast in America.' This decision reinstates the bandmates' right to royalties and sends the case back for further proceedings. Attorneys for both sides have not yet commented on the ruling.