Linkin Park is the target of a lawsuit filed by ex-bassist Kyle Christner.

The legal wrangling focuses around the band’s 2020 re-release of their classic 2000 debut album, Hybrid Theory, which includes rare and unreleased music.

He claims that, despite playing a big role in the creation of several of these songs during his time with the band in the late 1990s, he has gotten neither credit or compensation for his work.

Christner’s allegation in the action, filed in federal court, is that his involvement in the creative process has been erased, leaving him without remuneration for his crucial role.

His legal team makes it clear that “Christner has never been paid a penny for his work with Linkin Park, nor has he been properly credited, even as defendants have benefitted from his creative efforts.”

He claims he was a member of Linkin Park for several months in 1999 before being abruptly fired just before the band signed a record deal with Warner Records.

Despite his departure, Christner claims to have played bass on a self-released EP and contributed to a number of demo recordings, some of which he actively assisted in the composition.

Surprisingly, he believes that approximately 20 of these recordings were included in the 2020 re-release, establishing him as a co-creator of various tracks included in the box set.

The feud between Linkin Park and their former bassist has reached a tipping point.

The reply, which allegedly stated, “You get mechanical royalties for 3 demos and the 6-song Hybrid Theory EP that you performed on,” caused Kyle to seek a more specific breakdown of his rightful royalties.

The complaint seeks a declarative ruling, requesting that the court confirm Christner’s status as a co-author and co-owner of the copyrights at issue.

It also asks the court to rule on the “rights and obligations of the parties,” assessing whether the band owes him royalties and the amount owed.