Courts / Dublin / Report
Composer takes action over "Celtic Woman" royalties
Summary
David Downes, a well‑known composer and musical director who co‑founded the all‑female Irish ensemble Celtic Woman, has filed a lawsuit in the Commercial Court seeking US$640,000 in royalties and additional amounts for services he performed on the music programme that later became the group's live stage production. He claims entitlement to a share of profits from album sales, DVDs, merchandise and box‑office royalties, and has demanded detailed financial information from Celtic Woman Ltd. The company counters by alleging that Downes owes them over US$1 million, a claim he denies. Downes has provided a sworn statement that the company's partial account for January 2012 to June 2014 acknowledged a debt of US$640,000, to which he asserts VAT and further royalties are due. The judge, Brian McGovern, admitted the case to the High Court's business division, with a hearing scheduled for July, and both parties have consented to the application.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Composer takes action over "Celtic Woman" royalties. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision
When:
- October 2014 Other
- June 2014 Other
- July 2014 Other
- December 2015 Other
- 2016-04-11 Publication
Why: He says that in order to establish what he is owed, he required the company to furnish him information so he could calculate what he is owed. CNI source report
Case subjects
Applicant
Places mentioned
- Upper Rathmines Road
- Dublin
- High Court
Topics
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