Paul McCartney wants to reclaim his copyright ownership share on several catalogs of Beatles songs.  In what McCartney is calling, “one of the most important legal battles in the music industry this decade,” the former Beatles member has filed a suit against Sony/ATV in hopes of leveraging the termination provisions of the Copyright Act.  Sony/ATV gained the rights to many of the Beatles songs in a joint venture with Michael Jackson and bought out the remaining rights upon his death.

In response, Sony had this to day: “Sony/ATV has the highest respect for Sir Paul McCartney with whom we have enjoyed a long and mutually rewarding relationship with respect to the treasured Lennon & McCartney song catalog. We have collaborated closely with both Sir Paul and the late John Lennon’s Estate for decades to protect, preserve and promote the catalog’s long-term value. We are disappointed that they have filed this lawsuit which we believe is both unnecessary and premature.”   The full complaint is posted on the Hollywood Reporter website.