According to Cleveland.com, Jeffrey Hatrix, also known as Jeffrey Nothing (born Jeffrey Lewis Hetrick), a founding member of Cleveland band MUSHROOMHEAD, has sued the band’s drummer and producer Steve “Skinny” Felton, alleging copyright infringement and failure to pay royalties owed to him.
The lawsuit alleges that he has not received royalties for his music for “at least several years,” despite the fact that he wrote or helped write 148 songs during his time with the band.
“Most of the performing arts copyright registrations were registered in the name of Stephen Felton,” reads the lawsuit, which was filed Aug. 12 in federal court in Cleveland. “And while many of [‘Hatrix’] songs duly noted his involvement in the creation of these works, there is no record of royalty payments associated with these performing rights registrations.”
In the years leading up to Hatrix’s departure from MUSHROOMHEAD, “Felton’s actions … became even more nefarious, including the execution of publishing splits giving Skinny (Felton) double payment under the two names ‘Tenafly Viper’ and simply ‘Steve Felton,’ along with 30% going to him under the names ‘unknown publisher’ and ‘unknown author,’” the lawsuit states. “In fact, most of the publishing royalties seem to have disappeared, as the plaintiff has not received any royalties for music for several years, at least.
“Although the receipts of money were increasing, plaintiff was apparently receiving pitiful crumbs. [Hatrix] received an ‘allowance’ of $1,200 per week per tour. In fact, plaintiff was paid almost nothing beyond that, and is owed his publishing and other royalties, touring income, sales and movie royalties, and damages from other sources of income to be determined.”
Hatrix’s attorney Ronald Stanley told Cleveland.com that Hatrix is seeking at least $3.5 million, but clarified that “we don’t yet know what he is entitled to.”
