Toto Sue Sony Over Digital Royalties, Follow Precedent Set by Eminem

One of your dad's favorite bands has filed suit against its record label, and if wins the case, it might have one of your favorite rappers to thank.

As Rolling Stone reports, soft-rock stalwarts Toto claim that Sony owes more than $605,000 in unpaid digital royalties. Their suit, filed with the U.S. District Court for Southern New York, is based on a precedent set last year by Eminem, who successfully argued that digital downloads constitute licenses, not traditional sales. That means artists are entitled to 50 percent of the take, not the 12 to 20 percent they might receive from selling a CD.

Music lawsuits make for strange bedfellows, and in going after Sony, Toto have joined a supergroup of litigious artists that includes Peter Frampton, Kenny Rogers and Chuck D, all of whom have pursued similar cases.

As Toto once sang, love isn't always on time. The same goes for royalties. But when we're talking more than a half a million bucks, late sure beats never.