The New York Post has an unexpectedly substantive story about the funds from the settlements the majors made with the various file-sharing networks some years back. If you recall, Napster alone shelled out more than $250 million to three of the four major labels. (Sony/BMG by that time had corporate connections to the service.)

None of this had yet been disbursed to the artists. (They are the ones the record companies are fighting for, right?)

A contingent of prominent artist managers claims that little to none of that money has trickled down to their clients. They are now considering legal action.

“Artist managers and lawyers have been wondering for months when their artists will see money from the copyright settlements and how it will be accounted for,” said lawyer John Branca, who has represented Korn, Don Henley, and The Rolling Stones, among others.

“Some of them are even talking about filing lawsuits if they don’t get paid soon.”

The story talks to an unnamed company source who said that after legal fees there wasn’t much left. The writer also quotes Irving Azoff, who says that some labels are trying to assess the money against unrecouped advances.