Popular singer Bruno Mars has filed a business lawsuit against his publishing company in California, claiming that he has fulfilled the terms of his contract and asking that the judge order the publisher to release him from it. According to Mars' attorney, the publishing company failed to exercise its option to continue the contract, and as such, Mars should be released.

Mars, whose real name is Peter Hernandez, claims that the contract dispute began in May of this year when his contract with music publishing company Bug Music, Inc., ended. At that time, Bug Music had the option to extend the contract, but it did not exercise that option, which should have effectively ended the relationship between the two.

However, according to Mars' attorney, after the singer told the publisher that he no longer wished to work with them, Bug Music "shifted gears, and suddenly argued that [Mars] had not, in fact, met the minimum release requirements," refusing to release Mars from his publishing contract. Mars denies that allegation, and has filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court asking that a judge order Bug Music to release Mars from his contract with the publisher.

Bug Music has not publicly commented on the lawsuit, but the company continues to list Mars as a client on its website.

Mars released his debut album, "Doo-Wops & Hooligans," in October of 2010. He was awarded the Grammy for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for his first single from the album, "Just the Way You Are."

Source: Reuters, "Bruno Mars Sues His Publisher," Joshua L. Weinstein, Aug. 30, 2011