Mel Gibson lyrics in legal challenge

According to a report in Headliner Watch, actor Mel Gibson is in a legal dispute with his ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva. But this time it’s not about a crooked tooth or alimony, it’s about lyrics that he wrote with her. The Russian beauty Grigorieva recorded an album produced by Gibson and with lyrics by him. To release the material, she needs his signature. But as they are in a very public dispute, he seems to be holding back. The issue will most likely go to court and could take ages, by which time the album could well be dead in the water.

This illustrates the importance of choosing your co-writers well. It is appallingly easy to get material locked in disputes. I once met a lawyer that specialised in finding ex-partners of the writers of hits to see if any old demos resembled the hit. When a claim is filed, payments can be put on hold until they are resolved. And courts can be notoriously random in their rulings. You do not want to go that path. So always choose to work with talented gentlemen (or ladies), and if you find any, do me a favour and let me know. 😉