Elvis Presley estate suing German record company for unpaid royalties

Elvis Presley's estate is suing Arista Music, one of Sony’s labels in Germany, claiming that they owe as much as $9 million in back royalties.

The estate claims that Arista, which was formerly RCA, is exploiting a 1973 $5.3 million buyout of the singer’s back catalog, according to NME. RCA bought the recordings, with the profits to be split down the middle between the company and Colonel Tom Parker, Presley’s manager.

The estate says that they were only receiving an annual payment of $10 a song, which they called "conspicuously disproportionate" to the massive amounts of profits Arista had been pulling in.

The BBC reports that in addition to the $9 million, the estate wants a new share of revenue until 2023, when the 1973 agreement would expire in Germany.

German copyright laws allow the courts power to reevaluate deals to grant more equitable terms to the parties involved.

While Presley is still popular around the world, despite having died in 1977, Germany accounts for nearly 10 percent of his world-wide sales.