Barenaked Ladies Sued Over ‘Big Bang’ Money

(CN) - A founding member of the 1990s Canadian band Barenaked Ladies claims a bandmate kept all the money from the band's theme song for the sitcom "The Big Bang Theory."

Founding band member Steven Page sued his ex-bandmates - Edward Lloyd Robertson aka Lloyd Edward Elwyn Robertson, James Raymond Creeggan, Kevin Neil Hearn and Tyler Joseph Stewart, along with Warner Bros. Television and Warner-Olive Music in Los Angeles Superior Court, accusing them of breach of contract and fiduciary duty.

Page claims Ed Robertson, with whom Page founded the band in 1988, kept all the money from the band's recording of the theme song for the Warner Bros. hit sitcom "The Big Bang Theory," rather than dividing it equally between the five members of the band.

Page says the band recorded the theme song in 2006, but he hasn't seen a dime of his share of royalties, even though the song has generated "several million dollars" through "thousands" of airings in the United States and abroad.

In addition, Page and Robertson each own half of the long-form version of the song, Page says. He left the Barenaked Ladies in 2009 to pursue a solo career.

Page demands his 20 percent of the money from the theme song, which he says totals at least $1 million. He also wants a declaration that Warner Bros. should send Page's future share straight to him and punitive damages from Robertson.

"One of the band's most successful songs, written by Page and Robertson, is entitled 'If I Had a Million Dollars,' and ends: 'If I had a million dollars, I'd be rich,'" the lawsuit states. "Clearly, Robertson has taken this to heart and has kept not only his million dollars, but the millions of dollars belonging to Page and the other band members."

Barenaked Ladies has sold more than 15 million records. The band was nominated for two Grammy awards and won seven Juno awards, Canada's equivalent to the Grammys.

Page is represented by Richard C. Leonard of Beverly Hills, Calif. Leonard declined to comment on the lawsuit, saying the complaint "speaks for itself."

Warner Bros. did not respond to a request for comment.

Robertson did not reply to an emailed request for comment.

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