Sony, Universal, Warner sue SiriusXM for royalties

The music industry's largest record companies are suing Sirius XM Radio Inc. for royalties it says the satellite radio company didn't pay for recordings from before 1972.

Sony, Universal and Warner, as well as ABKCO, an independent company that manages the music rights of acts like the Rolling Stones and The Animals, filed the lawsuit Wednesday in Los Angeles for unspecified damages and a judgment about the rights involved in pre-1972 recordings.

Sound recordings weren't brought under federal copyright protection until 1972, instead being governed through state laws.

A spokesman for SiriusXM declined to comment.

The suit is the third major complaint filed against Sirius XM in recent weeks. SoundExchange, a company that collects royalties on behalf of recording artists, filed a similar lawsuit last month.