Richard Carpenter, representing the singer-songwriting duo The Carpenters, claims that Universal Music Group and A&M Records have only paid him and the estate of his sister, Karen, only a “miniscule fraction” of digital royalties owed to them, according to a lawsuit he filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday. 
 
 The Carpenters contend that accountants they hired to examine the record label books found multiple errors and that the defendants rejected the claim of royalties. He is seeking compensatory damages of at least $2 million. 
 
 Among other things, according to the lawsuit, the record labels “improperly classified” revenue from digital downloads of Carpenters’ music as sales of records as opposed to licensing revenue — short-changing them from a higher royalty rate. The lawsuit also claims that the defendants undercounted digital downloads and that they applied an incorrect base price to the sales of CDs. 
 
 The lawsuit notes that the lawsuit is similar to litigation involving the recordings of Eminem in which the defendants were several affiliates of UMG. Ultimately, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that digital downloads were a licensing of master recordings rather than a sale of records. 
 
 Related Read Universal Music Chief Lucian Grainge’s Year-End Letter to Staff Capitol Music Group Names Amber Grimes Senior VP of Global Creative 
 
 “I regret that I have been unable to amicably resolve this serious royalty dispute with Universal and A&M,” Carpenter said in a statement. “The Carpenters recordings are among the best sellers in the history of popular music and after 48 years continue to contribute a substantial amount to UMG/A&M’s annual bottom line. It seems only fair that these companies account fairly to my sister’s estate and to me. I look forward to proving the allegations in court.” 
 
 The lawsuit claims breach of contract and breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing. 
 
 The Carpenters are represented by Larry Iser and Greg Gabriel at Kinsella Weitzman Iser Kump & Aldisert. 
 
 During their career, the brother and sister duo recorded 11 albums, released 31 singles, and won three Grammys. Karen Carpenter died in 1983. 
 
 A spokeswoman for UMG did not immediately return a request for comment. ||||| Richard Carpenter to Music Companies You Screwed Me and Karen Royally 
 
 Richard Carpenter Sues for Karen Over Legendary Music Catalog 
 
 Richard Carpenter has filed a lawsuit against 2 music companies he claims ripped him off in the royalties over Carpenters tunes, and he's brought Karen into the legal action as well. 
 
 Richard and Karen Carpenter's estate claim Universal Music Group and A&M Records have shut them out of profits for iTunes and other online sales distributors. 
 
 It's a whole new world out there with digital downloads, and Richard claims Universal and A&M are not giving artists their fair cut. He goes on to say the courts have agreed with him -- notably in a case involving Eminem -- and now he says it's time to pay up. 
 
 Richard and Karen's estate have crunched the numbers, and they want more than $2 million.
– The lawsuits may have only just begun: Richard Carpenter filed a suit in California Wednesday on behalf of sister Karen Carpenter's estate, saying record companies are cheating both of them out of digital royalties. Richard, the surviving member of the sibling duo, accuses Universal Music Group and A&M Records of not giving the band its fair cut of digital sales of Carpenters records, TMZ reports. He says the Carpenters, who recorded 11 albums and released 31 singles before Karen's death in 1983, are owed at least $2 million, and he notes that the courts sided with Eminem in a similar case in 2010. The lawsuit accuses record companies of shortchanging the duo by undercounting digital downloads and "improperly classifying" downloads as record sales when they should be considered licensing, which has a higher royalty rate, Variety reports. "The Carpenters recordings are among the best sellers in the history of popular music and after 48 years continue to contribute a substantial amount to UMG/A&M's annual bottom line," Richard Carpenter said in a statement. "It seems only fair that these companies account fairly to my sister's estate and to me. I look forward to proving the allegations in court."