Chris Cooke - CMU | the music business explained

No “self-service buffet” for AI companies says GEMA CEO as OpenAI loses landmark lyrics lawsuit

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GEMA • 3 min read

No “self-service buffet” for AI companies says GEMA CEO as OpenAI loses landmark lyrics lawsuit

A German court has ruled that OpenAI infringed the copyrights of GEMA songwriters when it made copies of their lyrics without permission. The collecting society says this “landmark” ruling clarifies “key legal questions concerning the way new technology interacts with European copyright law”…

Chris Cooke • 11 Nov 2025

The Sabres Of Paradise join mounting Spotify boycott over Ek’s AI killer drones

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Spotify • 4 min read

The Sabres Of Paradise join mounting Spotify boycott over Ek’s AI killer drones

The artist boycott of Spotify continues, with The Sabres Of Paradise the latest to pull their music in protest at the streaming service’s business model and founder Daniel Ek’s investments in AI weapons. Though, as fans join the boycott, are the music services run by tech giants any more ethical?…

Chris Cooke • 11 Nov 2025

Manchester Evening News pays damages after incorrectly labelling Bob Vylan’s “sun salutation” as a Nazi salute

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Bob Vylan • 3 min read

Manchester Evening News pays damages after incorrectly labelling Bob Vylan’s “sun salutation” as a Nazi salute

When reporting last month on opposition to Bob Vylan’s Manchester show, the Manchester Evening News accused the duo of “performing Nazi salutes” on stage. But those gestures were, in fact, a pre-gig “sun salutation”. The newspaper has now corrected its error and paid “substantial damages”…

Chris Cooke • 10 Nov 2025

Upholding major labels' billion dollar ruling against Cox will have “seismic and dangerous ramifications”

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Cox Communications • 2 min read

Upholding major labels' billion dollar ruling against Cox will have “seismic and dangerous ramifications”

Next month the US Supreme Court will review the major labels’ billion dollar legal win against Cox. The ISP has made another filing with the top court, again presenting doom and gloom predictions, insisting that if the majors’ win is upheld there will be “seismic and dangerous ramifications”…

Chris Cooke • 10 Nov 2025

Slipknot.com owner hires domain name specialist to fight back against band’s cybersquatting claims

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Slipknot • 3 min read

Slipknot.com owner hires domain name specialist to fight back against band’s cybersquatting claims

Last month Slipknot sued the anonymous owner of Slipknot.com, accusing them of breaching cybersquatting laws. A domain name industry expert and attorney has now made a filing on behalf of the domain’s owner, who he describes as the “lawful and long-time registrant” of the domain…

Chris Cooke & Sam Taylor • 07 Nov 2025

Spotify’s Discovery Mode tricks people into listening to Drake, alleges payola lawsuit

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Spotify • 3 min read

Spotify’s Discovery Mode tricks people into listening to Drake, alleges payola lawsuit

Spotify has been sued over Discovery Mode, with subscriber Genevieve Capolongo claiming the “personalised listening experience” she was promised was ruined because the streaming service sold her recommendations “to the highest bidder”. It’s the second class action filed against Spotify this week…

Chris Cooke • 06 Nov 2025

Songwriter CMOs collected €12.59 billion in 2024, but AI "threatens future of creative sector”, says CISAC

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CISAC • 2 min read

Songwriter CMOs collected €12.59 billion in 2024, but AI "threatens future of creative sector”, says CISAC

CISAC has published its annual ‘Global Collections Report’, showing that songwriter CMOs collected €12.59 billion in 2024, with total collections up 7.2% year-on-year. However, CISAC chief Gadi Oron says, despite the growth, challenges caused by AI “threaten the future of the creative sector”…

Chris Cooke • 06 Nov 2025

“Misleading rhetoric and “deceitful buzzwords” not good enough, says Council Of Music Makers in call for creator consent, control and compensation in AI deals

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Artificial Intelligence • 2 min read

“Misleading rhetoric and “deceitful buzzwords” not good enough, says Council Of Music Makers in call for creator consent, control and compensation in AI deals

Following last week’s announcement that Universal Music has signed deals with AI companies Udio and Stability, the UK’s Council Of Music Makers has called on the music industry to pledge to secure explicit music creator consent before including their recordings and songs in any AI deals…

Chris Cooke • 06 Nov 2025

Axing of controversial EBacc is a “step in the right direction” for music education says Ed Sheeran

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Music Education • 3 min read

Axing of controversial EBacc is a “step in the right direction” for music education says Ed Sheeran

The UK government has axed the controversial EBacc, which deprioritised creative subjects like music in English schools. In a letter to Ed Sheeran, Prime Minister Keir Starmer says changes now being made to the English schools curriculum will ensure “creativity isn’t a privilege, but a right”…

Chris Cooke • 05 Nov 2025

Former Guns N Roses manager sues band over autobiography blocker clause

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Guns N Roses • 3 min read

Former Guns N Roses manager sues band over autobiography blocker clause

Guns N Roses are trying to block their former manager, Alan G Niven, from publishing an autobiography by citing a confidentiality term in a 1991 agreement. Niven has responded by suing the band, arguing that contract term is “unconscionable”, and has been repeatedly broken by the band themselves…

Chris Cooke • 05 Nov 2025

Judgement in Getty’s UK lawsuit against Stability “underscores growing gap” between copyright and tech, says leading lawyer

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Stability AI • 4 min read

Judgement in Getty’s UK lawsuit against Stability “underscores growing gap” between copyright and tech, says leading lawyer

Stability AI has won its copyright dispute with Getty Images in the UK courts. This began as what many saw as the landmark AI copyright case under UK law, of relevance to all rights owners, including in the music industry. However, in the end the judge only considered a very narrow copyright issue…

Chris Cooke • 04 Nov 2025

“Innovation can’t be built on stolen goods” says Koda CEO, as Danish collecting society sues Suno

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Suno • 2 min read

“Innovation can’t be built on stolen goods” says Koda CEO, as Danish collecting society sues Suno

We have another music industry AI lawsuit in Europe. Danish collecting society Koda is suing Suno which it says has stolen “our members’ creative work and fed it into its machines without consent, transparency or remuneration”. It follows German society GEMA in suing Suno for copyright infringement…

Chris Cooke • 04 Nov 2025