The two companies had challenged the lower court's decision that they may owe copyright damages that accrued prior to three years before plaintiff Sherman Nealy sued them.
Nealy has argued that his Miami record label Music Specialist owns the rights to the 1984 song "Jam the Box" by Tony Butler, also known as Pretty Tony.
Nealy said he did not learn of the alleged copyright violations until 2016, and requested damages for copyright infringement that he said started as early as 2008.
Circuit Court of Appeals limited copyright damages to the three-year period before a lawsuit is filed.
The case has drawn interest from music industry trade groups including the Recording Industry Association of America and National Music Publishers' Association, which also encouraged the court to take up the case.
Persons:
Warner Music's, Flo Rida, Sherman Nealy, Nealy, Tony Butler, Tony, Dillard, Flo Rida's, Warner Chappell, Butler, Blake Brittain, Will Dunham
Organizations:
Warner Music Group Corp, WASHINGTON, U.S, Supreme, Miami, Atlantic Records, Warner, Artist Publishing, Circuit, Appeals, Recording Industry Association of America, National Music Publishers ' Association, Thomson
Locations:
Ayer, Florida, Atlanta, New York, San Francisco, Washington