Stevie Wonder's 'Superstition' Grammy Auction to be Stopped?
A Stevie Wonder Grammy Award is at the center of a legal battle as officials behind the music award try to keep the statuette off the auction block.
Wonder received the award in 1973 for his hit "Superstition," but the statuette has since found its way into the hands of Gotta Have It! Collectibles owner Pete Siegel, who is planning to sell it off, the New York Post reports.
Now the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences has gone to court to try to prevent the sale.
The Academy has taken issue with the sale and have filed suit against Siegel, accusing him of a variety of charges, including fraud, unjust enrichment and false advertising.
It is unclear how Wonder lost ownership of the statuette, although reports suggest Grammy organizers are suspicious of how Siegel obtained it, which is among a 1,000-item lot also featuring memorabilia from The Beatles and Led Zeppelin.
The Grammy in question has been given a minimum starting bid of $12,000, reports the Post.
It is not the first time Siegel's star sales have hit the headlines. Last year, Lady Gaga contacted the firm to buy up a collection of her old belongings after a former manager announced plans to auction them off. Plus, the FBI seized John Lennon's 1976 application for U.S. residence in October after determining the item was the property of the U.S. Government and could not be sold.
In a false advertising case, the advertiser's intent is not all that relevant of an inquiry. Rather, a court is looking at the overall impression conveyed to the consumer. So just how the Gramnmy is portrayed in the auction would be more important.
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