Justice John Higgitt of the Appellate Division, First Department rules that the 'Empire State of Mind' hitmaker and his company are entitled to royalties from past cologne sales.
- Feb 25, 2022
AceShowbiz - Jay-Z has come out as the winner in a breach of contract lawsuit against Parlux Fragrances. Following his major victory, the "Empire State of Mind" hitmaker was awarded $4.5 million.
On Thursday, February 24, Justice John Higgitt of the Appellate Division, First Department ruled that Jay-Z and his company S. Carter Enterprises LLC "are entitled to summary judgment on their royalties counterclaim." Higgitt further stated, "The record is clear: Parlux sold licensed products after July 31, 2015, but failed to pay royalties on those sales."
Parlux bosses filed the breach of contract lawsuit back in 2016. They claimed that they had lost millions in their collaboration with Jay-Z due to his refusal to promote "Gold Jay-Z" on "Good Morning America" and at an in-store appearance at department store Macy's.
The 52-year-old husband of Beyonce Knowles later filed a countersuit against the company. He accused its bosses of failing to furnish him with accounting reports and promotional resources, among other things.
Fast forward to October 2021, the hip-hop mogul attended a trial in Manhattan Supreme Court. During the hearing, he was grilled by Parlux's lawyer, who argued, "In the fragrance industry, it is virtually impossible to sustain the success of a celebrity fragrance brand [unless it's bolstered by] promotional support from the celebrity in the form of public appearances."
The "No Church in the Wild" spitter then defended himself, insisting that he "did a lot for the Gold Jay-Z launch." The father of Blue Ivy went on explaining, "I had a year to complete these (obligations)."
In the following month, Justice Andrew Borrok issued a ruling, stating that Jay-Z should not have to pay $67.6 million to Parlux Fragrances. The jury, however, also rejected the Roc-A-Fella co-founder's $6 million royalties demand. Luckily the appellate court has now overruled the jury's decision.
