In 1987, the record companies lobbied legislators to pass an amendment to the Labor Code Section 2855, which applies only to recording artists and allows record companies to sue recording artists for damages if the artists do not fulfill their original contract. After seven years, this amendment is no longer relevant, according to Cappello, and artists have the legal right to terminate a recording contract without repercussions, he said. Labels, nevertheless, continue to intimidate artists who try to end contracts after seven years by suing them for lost profits, the attorney added. Beck, Garbage, Sheryl Crow, and others have tried to leave or sue that company and they've all been shut down or threatened. He concurred with Love, however, that the record labels often have the advantage over artists.
Many artists feel they are tied to the contracts for too long.
In addition to releasing several successful albums with Hole, Love also controls the estate and catalog of her late husband, Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, whose music generates millions of dollars annually. She has also starred in such movies as Man on the Moon and The People vs. Larry Flynt . The bitter fight hasn't soured the singer completely on recording. Reuters contributed to this report . Copyright 2001 Mr. Showbiz.