Cuban-American singer Malu Trevejo has won a huge victory against Universal Music Group. But there’s still a long battle ahead.
A U.S. Circuit Court in Miami has granted Trevejo’s request for an injunction against Universal Music Latino, a subdivision of Universal Music Group. The decision effectively freezes Trevejo’s contractual obligations under the contested recording agreement.
Maria Luis Trevejo, better known as Malu Trevejo to her fans, sought to void the contract she signed with Universal Music by saying she was underage when she signed the deal. Furthermore, the singer asserted that the contract was never certified in any court.
The decision — officially handed down on July 27th — states that UMG cannot claim that Malu is still under contract. Accordingly, she is not obligated to provide recording services for UMG, at least until the legal matter is settled.
UMG’s argument against the ruling states that agreements were made with a corporation owned by Malu’s mother and represented by an attorney. Therefore, the singer’s young age at the time of signing is immaterial. Trevejo shouldn’t be able to void the contract, simply because the agreement was not made directly with her.
UMG previously claimed that the injunction should not be granted because Malu’s mother signed parental consent forms.
The Miami court’s July 27th ruling upheld Malu’s claims, finding that the singer could suffer “irrevocable harm absent an injunction” because she would not be able to find work in the music industry.
Malu must post a $25,000 bond within 30 days of the ruling to make the injunction effective. Her most recent Instagram update seems to indicate that she considers the matter effectively over (which isn’t quite the case).
“I’m officially free to record and drop my music the way I want to,” the artist wrote on Instagram. She adds, “thanks to all my fans and all my haters for your motivation.”
UMG has yet to respond to the injunction, which severely limits the label’s power over this rising social media star.