Cher won a judgment against Mary Bono over royalties owed under Cher and Sonny Bono’s 1978 marriage settlement—not ownership of Sonny Bono’s entire music catalog. The court ruled that a copyright-termination notice did not end Cher’s defined contractual right to receive a share of specified receipts. The November 2025 judgment ordered Mary Bono to pay $187,534.91 in retained composition royalties, plus prejudgment interest.
What the lawsuit was about
Cher sued Mary Bono in 2021 after Mary issued a September 30, 2016 notice under Section 304(c) of the Copyright Act seeking to terminate certain grants of copyrights made before 1978. Cher argued the notice could not undo the royalty rights she had received in her August 10, 1978 marriage settlement agreement with Sonny Bono.
The dispute was about the relationship between that statutory termination process and Cher’s separate contractual right to money. It was not a claim that Cher owned or controlled every copyright in Sonny Bono’s catalog.
Why the court ruled for Cher
In its May 29, 2024 order, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California concluded that the settlement agreement gave Cher a contractual right to a share of financial receipts, rather than a grant of copyright rights covered by Section 304(c). The court also noted that the agreement was executed after January 1, 1978, the cutoff relevant to that termination provision.
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The order explained: “Because the MSA does not refer to the underlying copyrights, it did not affect the ability of Sonny’s heirs to terminate the copyrights.” In context, the court was saying the agreement did not bar the heirs from terminating eligible copyright grants; it was not saying the termination notice erased Cher’s separate financial rights under the settlement.
This reasoning is specific to this agreement and the rights at issue. It should not be read as a blanket rule that termination notices can never affect royalty arrangements.
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What the final judgment awarded
The court entered final judgment on November 26, 2025. It found Mary Bono liable for breach of contract for diverting covered royalties and ordered her to pay Cher $187,534.91 in composition royalties Mary had received and retained. The judgment applied prejudgment interest at 7% per year from February 1, 2022, through entry of judgment.
What Cher’s 50% share covers
The marriage settlement specified a 50% share of covered composition royalties and recording receipts. That percentage refers to the sources and periods defined in the agreement and judgment; it does not establish that Cher is entitled to half of all income associated with Sonny Bono or Sonny & Cher.
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Composition royalties relate to the musical compositions—the underlying songs—while recording receipts relate to recordings. The judgment’s award of retained composition royalties should not be mistaken for an award covering every category of music-related income.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.The attorney-fee dispute is separate
The royalty judgment did not resolve every related matter. Digital Music News reported on August 3, 2026, that a judge had denied Cher’s request for more than $1 million in attorney fees and that Cher appealed that denial. A later appellate disposition is not established here, so the reported appeal should not be described as decided.
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