Oasis archive recordings withdrawn from auction amid legal dispute

The archive recordings known as The Desk Tapes were withdrawn from a planned October 3 auction after legal proceedings brought by Oasis, according to Littleton Auctions. The dispute over who owns the recordings and controls their intellectual property remains unresolved, and the reports do not establish a court ruling or the archive’s ultimate disposition. Littleton managing director Ben Homer said the recordings had been removed from the sale in light of the legal proceedings. The auction house said the rest of its auction would proceed as planned. Owain Richards, son of former Oasis sound engineer Huw Richards, said he and his father agreed to postpone the sale to allow the dispute to be resolved through litigation or otherwise. Noel and Liam Gallagher, along with associated claimants, say they retain intellectual-property and copyright rights in the recordings. Huw Richards argues that he owns them because he made and possesses the tapes. The legal papers reportedly name Huw Richards, Owain Richards and Littleton Auctions as defendants. The supplied accounts do not establish what rights a court will recognize. The archive was due to be offered with a guide price of £1.