A federal judge has delivered a decisive win for Cher in her four-year royalties dispute with Mary Bono, the widow of her late ex-husband Sonny Bono. The judgment grants the music icon nearly everything she requested — including significant legal costs.
US District Judge John A. Kronstadt issued a final ruling confirming his earlier decision that Mary Bono cannot use the federal Copyright Act to reclaim the 50 per cent share of Sonny’s composition royalties that Cher was awarded in their 1978 divorce settlement. This includes royalties from classics such as I Got You Babe and The Beat Goes On.
Mary had attempted to terminate Cher’s rights to both her 50 per cent share of the compositions and her equal share of the musical recordings. However, the court held that California contract law, which governed the original divorce agreement, overrides the termination powers granted under federal copyright law.
In a notable development, the judge also ruled that Cher is still entitled to receive her royalties directly, even though she sold the rights to Irving Azoff’s Iconic Artists Group in 2022. This aspect of the ruling expands the legal interpretation of rights retention within royalty agreements.
Although Mary Bono argued that neither party should receive legal costs, Judge Kronstadt determined that Cher is entitled to recover costs as the prevailing party on all but one claim.
Mary plans to appeal the decision, her attorney told Rolling Stone.
Cher, who turns 80 next year, first rose to stardom alongside Sonny Bono in the 1960s before establishing an enduring solo career. Sonny’s death in a 1998 skiing accident left Mary in charge of his estate, setting the stage for the prolonged legal fight that has now largely concluded in Cher’s favour.
