MOSCOW, October 22 (RAPSI) – SBA Production, a Warner Music Group company, has filed a lawsuit with Moscow’s Commercial Court to collect over 1.2 million rubles (about $29,300) from Yulia Volkova, a former member of the once popular pop group t.A.T.u., the court said on its website.
The lawsuit was filed on October 20. Warner Music refused to comment on the essence of the dispute. Volkova was not available for comment either.
t.A.T.u. was a Russian music duo that consisted of Lena Katina and Yulia Volkova. It was created in 1999 by producer Ivan Shapovalov and music writer Alexander Voitinsky. It was one of the more successful Russian pop groups that won international recognition. Katina and Volkova initially posed as two Lolitas, possibly lesbian. Their English and Russian language singles were at the top of the charts in Russia, the UK, the US and other countries.
t.A.T.u. is the only Russian group to be awarded an IFPI album sales certification. During the opening ceremony of the Sochi winter Olympics in 2014, the Russian national team entered Fisht stadium to the sounds of the duo’s song Nas Ne Dogonyat (Not Gonna Get Us). The group split in 2009 when Katina and Volkova pursued separate careers.
Warner Music Group, Universal Music, Sony Music and EMI comprise the so-called Big Four of audio recording companies. They account for up to 80% of all audio recordings.