Once Courtney makes her claim she can demand an external audit at the company's expense to prove the accounting is solid. This will include an audit of her account where she saw the symptoms that lead to her accusation.
If the numbers prove faulty, she as a stockholder can order the arrest of the entire board and executive management for failure to comply with the Sarbanes-Ocley Act. Furthermore, the Act opens it up for her to pierce the corporate veil and personally sue these same executives in civil court.
See how powerful the new law is. Now multiply Miss Love with the many other artists who feel they are being cheated and you have one heck of a class action suit. A suit that can go after the personal assets of each and every board member.
Needless to say, the executives will not let it get that far. With the corporate protections stripped away, self-preservation will become the rule. The numbers that Love so desperately tried to pull from her label should now become fully accessible as will those of other artists. Sic 'em, artists - I bet we'll see "voluntary" changes to label accounting practices just prior to November 15 - coinkydink? You decide.
More on record industry accounting practices here, here, here and here.
Article comments
1 - Phillip Winn
This would *so* rock!
You would think that in this age of electronic media, people would be happy to finally be able to easily track all of this stuff and get the money where it is supposed to go. Oh wait -- maybe *that's* why the artists tend to be much more in favor of electronic downloads than the labels!