Editing This Is Spinal Tap (section)

== Lawsuit ==
On October 17, 2016, actor [[Harry Shearer]] filed a $125 million fraud and breach of contract lawsuit against both [[StudioCanal]], who owns the film's rights, and [[Vivendi]], which owns the studio. Shearer claimed that he and the other co-stars of the film received only $179 for sales of merchandise and music over the prior three decades. Shearer's lawsuit was specifically directed at StudioCanal by ordering the studio to terminate the copyright to ''This Is Spinal Tap''.<ref>{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/harry-shearer-files-125-million-spinal-tap-fraud-suit-copyright-termination-vivendi-studiocanal/ |title=Harry Shearer Files $125 Million 'Spinal Tap' Fraud Suit, Copyright Termination |magazine=Billboard|access-date=December 5, 2021|archive-date=October 20, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161020023649/http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/tv-film/7548915/harry-shearer-files-125-million-spinal-tap-fraud-suit-copyright|url-status=live}}</ref> In February 2017, Shearer's co-stars [[Christopher Guest]] and [[Michael McKean]], as well as the film's director [[Rob Reiner]], joined the lawsuit against StudioCanal and Vivendi, seeking $400 million in damages.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/feb/08/spinal-tap-lawsuit-harry-shearer-rob-reiner-vivendi |title=Spinal Tap creators aim to 'go to 11' with $400m lawsuit |last=Davies |first=Rob |date=February 8, 2017 |work=The Guardian|access-date=April 7, 2017 |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077|archive-date=February 8, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170208184812/https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/feb/08/spinal-tap-lawsuit-harry-shearer-rob-reiner-vivendi|url-status=live}}</ref> In the same month, Vivendi made an attempt to move the court to dismiss the case.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-news/harry-shearer-why-my-spinal-tap-lawsuit-affects-all-creators-117821/ |title=Harry Shearer: Why My 'Spinal Tap' Lawsuit Affects All Creators |first=Harry |last=Shearer |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=April 4, 2017|access-date=December 5, 2021|archive-date=February 25, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180225081628/https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/harry-shearer-why-my-spinal-tap-lawsuit-affects-all-creators-w474441|url-status=live}}</ref>{{Failed verification|reason=Nothing from this sentence is in the cited source.|date=April 2022}} In September 2017, a judge dismissed Shearer, Reiner and McKean from the case.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/spinal-tap-lawsuit-judge-tosses-harry-shearer-fraud-claim-profits-case-1044332 |title='Spinal Tap' Lawsuit: Judge Tosses Harry Shearer, Fraud Claim From Profits Case|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=September 29, 2017|access-date=August 10, 2018|archive-date=August 10, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180810173925/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/spinal-tap-lawsuit-judge-tosses-harry-shearer-fraud-claim-profits-case-1044332|url-status=live}}</ref> In October 2017, Spinal Tap revised their case by adding [[Universal Music Group]] (UMG, another division of Vivendi, whose [[Polydor]] label released the film's soundtrack) as a defendant, as well as the right to reclaim their copyrights to the film, its songs and characters.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2017/film/news/spinal-tap-actors-file-amended-complaint-seek-ability-to-reclaim-copyrights-1202595137 |title='Spinal Tap' Actors File Amended Complaint, Seek Ability to Reclaim Copyrights |first=Jem |last=Aswad |date=October 20, 2017|access-date=August 10, 2018|archive-date=August 4, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804142226/https://variety.com/2017/film/news/spinal-tap-actors-file-amended-complaint-seek-ability-to-reclaim-copyrights-1202595137/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In August 2018, another judge ruled that Guest, Reiner, McKean and Shearer could pursue the fraud claim against Vivendi.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-film-spinaltap-idUSKCN1LE1QZ |title='Spinal Tap' creators may pursue fraud claim in $400 million U.S.... |date=August 29, 2018 |website=Reuters.com|access-date=September 5, 2019|archive-date=September 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190904231432/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-film-spinaltap-idUSKCN1LE1QZ|url-status=live}}</ref>

The case related to sales of the soundtrack was settled out of court by November 2019, with UMG retaining the distribution rights but with the music rights eventually returning to Shearer, Guest, and McKean in the future.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2019/music/news/spinal-tap-universal-music-settle-copyright-dispute-1203393300/ |title=Spinal Tap Creators and Universal Music Settle Copyright Dispute |first=Jem |last=Aswad |date=November 5, 2019 | access-date = November 5, 2019 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | archive-date = November 5, 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191105190620/https://variety.com/2019/music/news/spinal-tap-universal-music-settle-copyright-dispute-1203393300/ | url-status = live}}</ref> A settlement between Vivendi, StudioCanal, and the cast on the merchandising aspect was reached in September 2020 with final details to be resolved in the following months.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2020/09/this-is-spinal-tap-settlement-reached-on-court-battle-over-rights-and-income-1234580120/ |title='This Is Spinal Tap' Creators Reach Settlement On Long-Running Court Battle Over Rights And Income |first=Bruce |last=Haring |date=September 19, 2020 | access-date = September 20, 2020 |work=[[Deadline Hollywood]] | archive-date = May 3, 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210503015530/https://deadline.com/2020/09/this-is-spinal-tap-settlement-reached-on-court-battle-over-rights-and-income-1234580120/ | url-status = live}}</ref>