According to Courthouse News Service, a federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Ozzy Osbourne's former songwriting partner and bassist Bob Daisley over unpaid royalties. The dispute centers around the royalties for Ozzy's "Blizzard Of Ozz" and "Diary Of A Madman" albums, which were released in 1980 and 1981. U.S. District Judge Christina Snyder concluded that Daisley's claims that Osbourne used a sham company, Blizzard Music Limited, to withhold royalty income from him stem from songwriter agreements that require arbitration. Daisley's complaint states that the firm that conducted an audit at his request in 2014 estimated that at least $2 million in royalty income had been withheld, although it could not determine a precise amount. Daisley's lawsuit against Osbourne and his company Blizzard Music Limited was originally filed last August in a state court in Nevada , but the case was transferred to federal court. Osbourne's publicist released a statement shortly after the lawsuit was filed. The statement read: "For the past 36 years Mr. Daisley has been receiving bi-annual royalty statements and checks from Blizzard Music, totaling in the millions of dollars, which have been routinely cashed. Mr. Daisley has audited Blizzard Music accounts over the years using several different auditing firms who found no discrepancies. He has previously filed lawsuits in the U.K. and the U.S. and has lost on each occasion. "We understand that Mr. Daisley is now in retirement and that these funds are his main source of income, so it is his right to be diligent with his money, but after 36 years, this is tantamount to harassment. We would have hoped that after 36 years that Mr. Daisley would have lost his unhealthy personal obsession and resentment towards Mr. Osbourne's success. Blizzard Music and Mr. Osbourne plan to vigorously defend these proceedings." Daisley, who played bass on the first two solo albums by Ozzy Osbourne, previously that he was "devastated" and "flabbergasted" by the August 2002 ruling by the Los Angeles Federal Court dismissing the lawsuit over unpaid performance royalties brought by Daisley and ex-Osbourne drummer Lee Kerslake against Ozzy and the singer's wife and manager, Sharon Osbourne. Daisley continues to get paid his songwriting royalties for the songs he wrote on Ozzy's "Blizzard Of Ozz" album and the follow-up, "Diary Of A Madman". According to the bassist and songwriter, the issue is, and always has been, about performance royalties.
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