This is Spinal Tap’s co-writer to take action over alleged under reporting of revenue

Harry Shearer, co –writer and star of This is Spinal Tap, cult 80’s rock-mockumentary, is taking Vivendi the parent company of Universal Music and StudioCanal to court.

Shearer alleges that Vivendi put it up to eleven and withheld millions of dollars of profits from the rock-mockumentry. Shearer will claim $125m in compensation and damages from Vivendi.

Shearer claims that when Vivendi obtained the rights to the rock-mockumentry, in 1989 via its subsidiary StudioCanal, it ceased to share its profits from the film fairly between its four creators, cast and crew.

It has been alleged that Vivendi’s monthly “At Ease” weekend has been every weekend. The claim alleges that between 1989 and 2006 the company reported the soundtrack music sales were $98. It has further been stated in the claim that the four creators’ share of the world wide merchandising income between 1984 and 2006 was a measly $81.

Shearer’s claim states that it is a “concerted and fraudulent campaign to hide, or grossly underreport, the film’s revenues in order to avoid its profit participation obligations”.

As Bobbi Fleckman explains in the rock-mockumentry “Money Talks, and B******* walks”.