Enlarge image
Musician Clapton: Legal dispute in Ratingen
Photo: Nicolas Armer / dpa
The blues musician Eric Clapton has got involved in a legal dispute with a woman from Ratingen.
His management announced that Clapton will not take any further legal action.
Previously, he had won a victory against the woman at the Düsseldorf Regional Court.
The 55-year-old had offered a CD on Ebay with an apparently illegally produced live recording of a Clapton concert from 1987.
The woman had found the double CD after the death of her ex-husband when the household was dissolved and put it up for purchase on Ebay for 9.95 euros.
Clapton's lawyers had the auction stopped because it was an illegal recording.
Before the Düsseldorf court they asserted that they were no longer allowed to sell the CD.
Otherwise there is a threat of a fine of up to 250,000 euros, the court ruled (Az: 12 O 164/21).
The woman unsuccessfully argued that she had no idea that it was an illegal recording.
Her husband bought the CD legally in a supermarket.
So far it costs 3400 euros
After the ruling by the regional court, the woman announced through her lawyer that she would continue to sue.
According to calculations by your lawyer, over 3400 euros in dunning fees, lawyer and court costs have already been incurred in the dispute.
Clapton's management has now announced that lawyers have been working on behalf of the musician for many years against the sale of illegal, low-quality recordings.
It is not the intention to punish private sellers of individual CDs, but commercial dealers.
The statement states that the case could have been dealt with quickly and at "minimal cost".
A phone call or a letter to the lawyers would have been enough.
Instead, she replied to the lawyers' letter that they should calmly sue her.
That triggered the next step.
Now that all the facts about this case had come to light, Eric Clapton decided not to take any further action and not to collect the costs awarded to him by the court.
jpz / dpa
