A new report says that composers of the original Halo are suing Microsoft over unpaid royalties.
According to Eurogamer, composers Marty O’Donnell and Mike Salvatori, who composed some of the most iconic Halo themes in the Bungie-developed Halo games, are claiming that Microsoft owes them royalties dating back 20 years. Apparently, lawyers representing them filed the lawsuit back in June 2020 to a Washington state court.
Now, a date next week has been set for mediation. But if an agreement isn’t reached, it could go to court. More recently, O’Donnell and Salvatori have told their lawyers to look into blocking the release of the upcoming Halo TV show.
The lawsuit covers six causes of action against Microsoft, which include: breach of contract; breach of fiduciary duty to develop the royalty income in a joint venture; breach of duty to act in good faith and fair dealing; failure to provide an accounting partnership; unjust enrichment; and tortious interference.
Speaking over phone to Eurogamer, O’Donnell claims that himself and Salvatori have tried to clear up the royalties situation with Microsoft for more than a decade. But after not making much progress, the pair decided to file the lawsuit. “We just never seemed, through our attorneys and even when I was physically in Microsoft, I could never get much clarity on it,” O’Donnell said.
Microsoft apparently declined to comment when contacted by Eurogamer. And Paramount did not respond before the report was published.
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Featured Image Credit: 343 Industries/ Microsoft