UMG Says They Should Be Removed From Sara Rivers Lawsuit Against Diddy

Universal Music Group says they are catching legal strays when it comes to an explosive lawsuit against Diddy ... and they want a judge to cut them some slack.

Here's the deal ... former "Making The Band" singer Sara Rivers is suing Diddy for alleged hostile and inhumane treatment ... and her lawsuit named UMG as one of several dozen defendants.

The music corporation just filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit against them ... arguing they have no business being sued by Sara.

In new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, UMG argues the case against them should be dismissed because it's time-barred ... UMG says the federal claims are preempted by New York state law and that it's an improper group pleading that fails to state a claim.

UMG also says the parts of Sara's lawsuit that involve them are irrelevant to her claims against Diddy ... and they say that out of over 1,003 paragraphs in the original lawsuit, only 10 pertain to UMG.