Universal Music has filed a 35-page response to Fred Durst's unpaid-royalties lawsuit, arguing that the complaint should be dismissed as it's based on false premises. The label directly challenges key claims made by the Limp Bizkit frontman and his associated parties.

Key Points in Universal Music's Response:

• UMG denies concealing owed royalties through payment software
• The label claims they reached out to Durst's business manager in January 2023 about royalty payments
• According to UMG, Durst's then-business manager Paul Ta incorrectly stated that band members had sold/assigned their royalty rights
• Multi-million dollar payments were made to plaintiffs in August 2024 after Ta corrected his statement in April 2024

Legal Arguments for Dismissal:

1. Flip Records claims must be dismissed as they're subject to New York jurisdiction, not California where the case is being heard
2. Contract termination claims are invalid as there wasn't a complete failure to make payments
3. The agreements explicitly prevent termination for royalty-accounting issues
4. UMG explains that varying advance balances resulted from offsetting positive and negative balances across different accounts

UMG did acknowledge an "embarrassing mistake" regarding delayed profit-split payments to Flawless Records, though they maintain this wasn't an intentional effort to withhold royalties.

The case is scheduled for a dismissal hearing in early January, where both parties will present their arguments before the court.

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