LORETTA LYNN - LORETTA LYNN SUES MUSIC PUBLISHING COMPANY

Country veteran LORETTA LYNN has filed a lawsuit to gain copyright control of a broad range of songs, including her 1969 signature hit COAL MINER'S DAUGHTER.

In a lawsuit filed this week (ends08OCT04) in Nashville, Tennessee's Chancery Court, Lynn has asked a judge to void a contract she signed with SURE-FIRE MUSIC COMPANY in 1966 awarding the company copyrights to her songs.

The complaint says the company's ownership changes should give Lynn the rights to the music. The company has the rights to 114 songs written or co-written by Lynn, including YOU'RE LOOKIN' AT COUNTRY and YOU AIN'T WOMAN ENOUGH.

Sure-Fire was owned in 1966 by TEDDY and DOYLE WILBURN, who as the WILBURN BROTHERS were one of the most celebrated brother duos in country music. Both are now dead, and Teddy Wilburn's estate is the subject of a family fight in Probate Court in Nashville.

Lynn says in the suit that a contract she had with Sure-Fire gave her the right to terminate the agreement if ownership of the company changed hands.