George Clinton - George Clinton Hands Over Song Copyrights To Pay Off Legal Fees

Funk icon George Clinton has been ordered to hand over the copyrights to four of his classic tracks to pay off debts to his former lawyers.

The music legend's former representatives at Seattle, Washington-based law firm Hendricks & Lewis, who worked for him between 2005 and 2008, won a $1.5 million (£937,500) judgment against him in 2010 after claiming he had failed to pay their fees.

In documents filed at Washington District Court, Hendricks & Lewis executives claimed Clinton had only handed over $340,000 (£212,500) so far, prompting a federal judge to order that copyrights to four of Clinton's songs be handed to the law firm in lieu of payment.

According to the ruling, made in November (12), Hendricks & Lewis bosses now own the copyrights to the tracks Hardcore Jollies, The Electric Spanking of War Babies, Uncle Jam Wants You and One Nation Under A Groove, with proceeds going toward paying back the original judgment.

Once the debt is paid off, the copyright ownership will return to Clinton, who has filed a motion to reverse the decision, according to Tmz.com.