On Wednesday, Blondie filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court against EMI Records, charging the record label with breach of contract.

The suit, filed in the Southern District of New York, claims that EMI has failed to uphold a 1996 contract with the band that outlined a new royalty rate on Blondie catalog releases. The bulk of Blondie's catalog was released on EMI predecessor Chrysalis, and the band called EMI/Chrysalis home for 16 years before jumping to BMG/Beyond for the release of this year's "No Exit."

"The reality of what musical artists actually earn for their work is extremely disheartening," Blondie singer Deborah Harry said in a written statement. "An artist's creative work is repeatedly repackaged and marketed, and the artist rarely sees increased income. In our situation, we would at least like to see EMI live up to its own promise, to finally allow some of the increased revenues to flow through to the artist." The band is seeking an unspecified

amount in damages.