Halo's original composers are suing Microsoft over unpaid royalties for using their music in the upcoming Halo TV series.
Eurogamer reports that composers Marty O'Donnell and Mike Salvatori are suing Microsoft, claiming they signed a contract with Microsoft that gives them 20% of profits for any use of their Halo music outside the games — such as in the Halo TV show, soundtrack sales, and so on.
O'Donnell said that while Microsoft pays them quarterly, they believe the amount doesn't represent what they're owed through the true contract.
O'Donnell told Eurogamer, "If this is 20%, then it doesn't seem like Microsoft is really making much money. So we would say, 'could you guys tell us what the numbers are?' And then they just wouldn't. But sure enough, four months later, you would get another little cheque, and just, 'here's your amount'."
Microsoft has stated that O'Donnell and Salvatori's Halo music were done as work-for-hire, meaning O'Donnell and Salvatori made the Halo music for Microsoft with Microsoft retaining the copyright.
Both parties will appear in a pre-trial for the case which is due to take place on May 9th.
Work for hire is a precedent where a creator, like O'Donnell and Salvatori, creates work for a company like Microsoft under contract, and Microsoft would ultimately own the copyright to that work. This is the same precedent that Marvel uses to claim characters created by comic writers while working for Marvel.
In the meantime, the Halo TV series is set to premiere on Paramount+ on March 24, 2022.
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Eurogamer reports that composers Marty O'Donnell and Mike Salvatori are suing Microsoft, claiming they signed a contract with Microsoft that gives them 20% of profits for any use of their Halo music outside the games — such as in the Halo TV show, soundtrack sales, and so on.
O'Donnell said that while Microsoft pays them quarterly, they believe the amount doesn't represent what they're owed through the true contract.
O'Donnell told Eurogamer, "If this is 20%, then it doesn't seem like Microsoft is really making much money. So we would say, 'could you guys tell us what the numbers are?' And then they just wouldn't. But sure enough, four months later, you would get another little cheque, and just, 'here's your amount'."
Microsoft has stated that O'Donnell and Salvatori's Halo music were done as work-for-hire, meaning O'Donnell and Salvatori made the Halo music for Microsoft with Microsoft retaining the copyright.
Both parties will appear in a pre-trial for the case which is due to take place on May 9th.
Work for hire is a precedent where a creator, like O'Donnell and Salvatori, creates work for a company like Microsoft under contract, and Microsoft would ultimately own the copyright to that work. This is the same precedent that Marvel uses to claim characters created by comic writers while working for Marvel.
In the meantime, the Halo TV series is set to premiere on Paramount+ on March 24, 2022.
Continue reading...