Crush 40 musician and Sonic songwriter Johnny Gioeli is suing Sega of America over ownership of the Sonic Adventure 2 theme song Live and Learn.
Gioeli has claimed Sega only has rights to the lyrics of the song and not the “master recording and musical composition”, the lawsuit reads (as shared by Polygon), but “unbeknownst” to the songwriter Sega has “exploited and licensed” the song to “at least 25 video games, television shows, live performances/events, and films”.
Live and Learn features heavily in the latest film, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, though Gioeli previously confirmed to Aftermath a deal was signed for its use with Paramount.
In the lawsuit, Gioeli claims he was paid $3000 to write lyrics for an as-yet-untitled song to be included in Sonic Adventure 2. He then “ended up arranging, producing, recording, and performing vocals on Live and Learn, which was produced out of his home studio in California using his own equipment without the supervision, control, or involvement” of Sega.
Further, Sega’s assertion it owns full control over the master recording and music composition is “without basis” as there is no agreement in place with Gioeli to transfer rights beyond the lyrics.
In the meantime, Gioeli has “maintained his songwriting registration” for the song for over 20 years. The songwriter holds the copyright for Live and Learn, where he’s listed as having authorship over the music and lyrics. The date of this registration is 2024.