Jimi Hendrix's family in partial royalties victory

The family of Jimi Hendrix has won a partial victory in its High Court action over some of his early recordings.

Their company Experience Hendrix LLC is claiming royalties from PPX Enterprises Inc, relating to when Hendrix played with a group called Curtis Knight And The Squires in PPX's New York studio.

The company launched a claim against PPX Enterprises Inc, and its president Edward Chalpin, relating to the alleged breach of a March 1973 agreement between PPX and the English administrator of Hendrix's estate.

The hearing, before Mr Justice Buckley, in London, related to 71 disputed tracks and a period when Hendrix played with a group called Curtis Knight and The Squires in PPX's New York studio.

Experience argued that there had been non-payment of royalties due and that records were released for which no licence was granted under the agreement.

But it only succeeded in winning an injunction restraining future releases or licences of recordings on which Hendrix performed in any capacity - other than 33 master tapes to which it agrees that PPX is entitled.

Its claim over royalties succeeded to the extent that PPX must account for royalties due on those 33 tracks in the future - but not in the past. The judge rejected claims relating to delivery up of masters and an unspecified amount in damages.

PPX had argued that there had been a prior oral agreement between all the parties that it was entitled to every master that had at any time been previously released or licensed by it.