Artist Rights Sues Dionne Warwick Over Royalty Breach

Artist Rights Enforcement Corp filed a lawsuit against legendary singer Dionne Warwick on December 15 in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, accusing her of breaching a long-standing agreement over royalty payments tied to the sampling of her 1964 hit "Walk On By" in Doja Cat's 2023 chart-topping single "Paint The Town Red."

The complaint alleges that Warwick, 85, is attempting to terminate a 2002 contract under which the company has represented her on royalty recovery matters at no upfront cost in exchange for a 50 percent share of all recovered royalties in perpetuity. According to court documents, this arrangement has generated more than $2.5 million in revenue for Warwick over the years, including an average of over $350,000 annually in the past five years. The firm claims its efforts increased her royalty distributions by approximately 60 times, covering issues such as disputes with record labels, tax liens and digital performance rights.

Central to the case is the clearance of the "Walk On By" sample for "Paint The Town Red," which Artist Rights Enforcement negotiated on Warwick's behalf. Released as the lead single from Doja Cat's album Scarlet,...