And the verdict of the Beats headphones lawsuit is, Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine owe their former partner $25.2 million for a breach in contract, as of Wednesday.
Beats Headphones Lawsuit: Court Decides Dre., Iovine Owe $25.2 Million to Former Partner
In Los Angeles, the jury ruled that Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine’s ex-partner Steven Lamar of Jibe Audio was indeed owed royalties due to his early involvement in the creation of Beats.
The lawsuit stated that Lamar had pitched the idea of celebrity-endorsed headphones to music producer and rapper Dr. Dre nee Andre Young and co-founder of Interscope Records Iovine back in 2006. Lamar’s attorneys argued he was owed at least Attorneys for Lamar contended he was owed at least $130 million for a dozen different models of headphones.
Dre and Iovine, who were absent from today’s court hearing, did in fact appear to give their testimony in which they both admitted Lamar was a part of the initial plans, with their defendants contending Lamar is owed for a single product, in which he was already paid for.
“The jury really validated our theory of the case, that Mr. Lamar was involved in the founding of Beats,” Lamar’s attorney Stephen E. Morrissey said outside court. “It’s not everything we were asking for, but we’re happy.”
As the Associated Press reports, Lamar suspects the amount he’s owed could grow based on future sales of headphones still on the market.
Nine of 12 jurors ruled in favor of Lamar after three days of deliberation in the Beats headphones lawsuit. The ruling did not cite how much each defendant would be required to pay. Beats was acquired by Apple for $3 million in 2014. The case does not cite Apple as a defendant.
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