New Prince EP 'Deliverance' blocked by temporary restraining order

The federal judge ruled that the originals be returned to his estate.

ByABC News
April 20, 2017, 10:00 AM

— -- Just hours after new Prince tracks were announced, a federal judge in Minnesota District Court has granted a temporary restraining order requested by the late singer's estate and his recording studio Paisley Park.

George Ian Boxill, an engineer who had worked with Prince over the years, was set to release a six-song EP of previously unreleased Prince material, but after the announcement went up on Apple Music, among other sites, the singer's estate filed suit in Carver County, Minnesota, seeking to stop the release and have the masters turned over to them.

In addition to Judge Wilhelmina M. Wright granting the order to block the music, Boxill was also ordered to "deliver all of the recordings acquired through his work with Paisley Park Enterprises, including original recordings, analog and digital copies and any derivative works" back to the estate, according to the paperwork obtained by ABC News.

The legal foundation for the ruling was a confidentiality agreement that Prince and Boxill allegedly agreed upon before working together, that stated all the work the two did together "would remain Prince's sole and exclusive property" and that "he would not use any recordings or property in any way whatsoever."

The restraining order is set to expire on May 3.

The EP Boxill has assembled, titled "Deliverance," includes the title track and a four-song suite called "Opera Man" that includes songs titled "I Am," "Touch Me," "Sunrise Sunset" and "No One Else."

A request for comment from Boxill was not immediately returned to ABC News.

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