Pink Floyd Wins Legal Battle Against Label

British rock icons Pink Floyd won an online royalties suit in London’s High Court Thursday, March 11, which will keep their record label EMI from unpackaging albums and selling single songs online.

The judge agreed with the band that a contract clause to “preserve the artistic integrity of the albums” was valid and relevant to the case, according to EW.com. The judge also ordered EMI to pay Pink Floyd’s estimated $90,000 in court costs, and refused the company permission to appeal.

The ruling at London's High Court is the latest blow to EMI, the smallest of the four major record companies, which is seeking new funds to avoid breaching debt covenants. EMI sought to play down the court's decision, Reuters reports.

Despite the fight, EMI added in its statement: "We're huge fans of Pink Floyd whose great catalog we have been representing for more than 40 years and continue to represent exclusively and internationally," Reuters reports .

And why wouldn’t they love that catalog? Pink Floyd’s back catalog is reportedly the second most-valuable, behind the Beatles.