John Fogerty, accused of stealing from one of his own songs, was awarded $1.3 million to cover his legal fees in a lawsuit that he won.
Fantasy Inc. has the copyright on the Creedence Clearwater Revival hit "Run Through the Jungle." The record company accused the disbanded band's former leader of borrowing from "Jungle" when he wrote "The Old Man Down the Road," for his 1985 solo Warner Bros. album "Centerfield."A federal jury ruled in Fogerty's favor in 1988, deciding the singer and guitarist didn't violate the law.
U.S. District Judge Samuel Conti ruled this week that Fantasy should pay Fogerty's legal fees because his defense required "extensive time and labor" and "involved novel and difficult questions."
Fogerty was pleased, said his lawyer, Kenneth Sidle. "I would say we are reasonably happy with the award. John went through a lot of agony on this case," Sidle said.
Fantasy hadn't decided whether to appeal.