Tupac, Tom Petty estates among group suing Universal over fire (Guardian)

Estates of rapper Tupac Shakur and rocker Tom Petty are among a group seeking at least $100 million in damages from Universal Music Group after revelations that a 2008 fire allegedly torched precious master recordings.

The class action lawsuit filed just before the weekend is the first legal action lobbed at UMG since The New York Times published a bombshell investigation saying that a trove of some 500,000 recordings including masters were destroyed in the June 1, 2008 blaze.

Three law firms filed the suit in US Central District Court in Los Angeles on behalf of artists including Tupac and Petty’s estates along with members of the band Soundgarden, alt rock group Hole and folk-rocker Steve Earle. Read more