FILE – In this Nov. 5, 2014 file photo, Dr. Dre attends the WSJ. Magazine 2014 Innovator Awards at MoMA in New York. Dr. Dre is pledging $10 million toward the construction of a performing arts center at Compton High School. The Compton Unified School District said Thursday, June 15, 2017, that the producer will help raise additional funds for the new facility, which is expected to break ground in 2020. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP, File)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A jury has found that Dr. Dre, music mogul Jimmy Iovine and their headphone company Beats Electronics owe a former partner $25.2 million in royalties.
The Los Angeles Superior Court jury found Wednesday by a narrow 9-3 margin that Beats breached a contract with Steven Lamar and his company Jibe Audio.
The suit said Lamar in 2006 came to Dr. Dre, whose real name is Andre Young, with the idea for celebrity-endorsed headphones. The plaintiffs contended Lamar was owed over $130 million for a dozen different models of headphones, but the jury found he was only owed for three pairs in the Studio series.
The defendants acknowledged that Lamar was involved in initial plans, but argued he was only owed for one model of headphones and was already paid.
Beats is now owned by Apple Music. Apple representatives did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
