Dionne Warwick Sued By Company That Negotiated Her Walk On By Sample Deal w/ Doja Cat

Dionne Warwick Sued By Company That Negotiated Her Walk On By Sample Deal w/ Doja Cat

A rights management company has sued music legend #DionneWarwick, alleging she’s trying to back out of a long-standing agreement tied to the use of her classic song Walk On By (1964) in #DojaCat’s hit Paint the Town Red (2023).

The lawsuit, filed by Artists Rights Enforcement Corp., claims the firm negotiated the sample deal and has represented Warwick on royalty matters for years, only to now be pushed aside. The company says Warwick is attempting to avoid paying the fees she agreed to under contract. In documents cited by Billboard, Artists Rights asserts it supported Warwick for decades “at great effort and expense” and received a share of royalties “in perpetuity” as part of the partnership.

The complaint further states, “After decades of service, Ms. Warwick is now trying to evade paying Artists Rights hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars,” a move the company says violates the contracts. The company also claims Warwick began “increasingly [expressing] her desire to stop paying Artists Rights.” Warwick has not yet publicly addressed the lawsuit.