Prince’s estate is taking legal action against the sound engineer who planned to release previously unpublished tracks on the anniversary of the singer’s death.
Minnesota-based news outlet KSTP obtained the court documents filed by the estate and Paisley Park Enterprises on Tuesday, the day the EP of unheard tracks was announced by music engineer George Ian Boxill.
The document is believed to allege George is trying to exploit the songs for personal gain.
The estate says the music engineer has no right to the recordings, and they are demanding he return them.
According to reports, the lawsuit says a 2004 confidentiality agreement shows George agreed that all recordings would remain Prince’s sole and exclusive property.
Prince sings and plays guitar and keyboard on the tracks, one of which is called Deliverance and is also the name of the EP.
Court documents say the recordings, including Deliverance, are worth more than 75,000 US dollars (£58,567).
Deliverance, comprised of several tracks recorded over a decade ago, was set for release on Friday to mark the one-year anniversary of Prince’s death.
The US singer-songwriter, whose real name was Prince Rogers Nelson, died at his Minnesota home on April 21 last year at the age of 57.