Chris Cooke - CMU | the music business explained

Reggaeton singer Karol G accused of beat theft on 2022 track ‘Gatúbela’

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Karol G • 2 min read

Reggaeton singer Karol G accused of beat theft on 2022 track ‘Gatúbela’

Reggaeton star Karol G has been accused of ripping off an existing beat when making her track ‘Gatúbela’. Beatmaker Alfr3d Beats reckons it was ‘Gatúbela’ producer DJ Maff who accessed his beat on YouTube and then used it without permission, alleging that he admitted as much in an Instagram exchange…

Chris Cooke • 14 Mar 2025

Trump must “weigh in” on AI copyright debate and pressure “less innovative countries” on copyright rules, says OpenAI

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OpenAI • 6 min read

Trump must “weigh in” on AI copyright debate and pressure “less innovative countries” on copyright rules, says OpenAI

OpenAI has asked Donald Trump to stand up for the fair use principle which it believes allows it to use existing content in its AI training without the permission of rightsholders. It also wants Trump to put pressure on countries where copyright rules restrict AI training, which will include the UK…

Chris Cooke • 14 Mar 2025

University Of Southern California sued over uncleared music in sporty TikTok posts

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Sony Music • 2 min read

University Of Southern California sued over uncleared music in sporty TikTok posts

Another lawsuit has been filed over the uncleared use of music in TikTok and Instagram videos, because brands are not covered by the platforms’ general music licences. This time Sony is suing the University Of Southern California which used unlicensed tracks in videos promoting its sports teams…

Chris Cooke • 13 Mar 2025

Defamation lawsuit filed by former R Kelly assistant over Lifetime documentary fails because ‘Good Morning America’ appearance made her a public figure

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R Kelly • 3 min read

Defamation lawsuit filed by former R Kelly assistant over Lifetime documentary fails because ‘Good Morning America’ appearance made her a public figure

US broadcaster Lifetime was sued for defamation by a former PA to R Kelly, who claimed its ‘Surviving R Kelly’ programme portrayed her in a “sinister and defamatory light”. However, a judge has dismissed the case, claiming that the PA failed to demonstrate that Lifetime acted with “actual malice”…

Chris Cooke • 13 Mar 2025

Everyone’s making loads of money but don’t point the finger at us if you’re not, says Spotify’s updated Loud & Clear

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Spotify • 6 min read

Everyone’s making loads of money but don’t point the finger at us if you’re not, says Spotify’s updated Loud & Clear

Spotify has updated its Loud & Clear website with lots of stats for 2024, including that it paid the music industry more than $10 billion last year. Spotify also uses Loud & Clear to counter negative narratives about streaming, and the updates in that domain are just as interesting as the stats…

Chris Cooke • 12 Mar 2025

Brazilian music publisher trade body must respond to antitrust concerns this week

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UBEM • 3 min read

Brazilian music publisher trade body must respond to antitrust concerns this week

Legal experts in Brazil say that an investigation into the role of Brazilian music publishing body UBEM in negotiating licensing deals for its members could have major implications for mechanical rights licensing in the country. UBEM must respond to Brazil’s competition regulator by this weekend…

Chris Cooke • 12 Mar 2025

NewJeans bumper PowerPoint doesn’t convince judge as court tells band to present stronger evidence for claims against Ador

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NewJeans • 3 min read

NewJeans bumper PowerPoint doesn’t convince judge as court tells band to present stronger evidence for claims against Ador

A court in Seoul last week considered a request by HYBE agency Ador for an injunction stopping NewJeans from entering into new deals while it pursues legal action to enforce its contract with the group. The judge told NewJeans to restructure their list of reasons for terminating their Ador deal…

Chris Cooke • 11 Mar 2025

Ultra vs Sony row continues as Moxey says “this is not about revenge”

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Ultra Music Publishing • 3 min read

Ultra vs Sony row continues as Moxey says “this is not about revenge”

Sony’s copyright battle with Patrick Moxey’s Ultra Music Publishing continues. The major claims that Moxey’s copyright lawsuit was filed in revenge after it sued him for trademark infringement. In a new filing, Ultra doubles down on its copyright claims and insists revenge has nothing to do with it…

Chris Cooke • 11 Mar 2025

Andrew Tate course on ‘pimping’ and exploiting women remains on Spotify as petition passes 25,000 signatures

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Spotify • 5 min read

Andrew Tate course on ‘pimping’ and exploiting women remains on Spotify as petition passes 25,000 signatures

Spotify has removed two Andrew Tate courses that were published on its platform instructing men on how to exploit women, but a third, called ‘Andrew Tate PHD (Pimping Hoes Degree)’, remains. A petition calling for all three courses to be removed has now passed 25,000 signatures…

Chris Cooke • 10 Mar 2025

Music rights investor wants Ed Sheeran’s ‘Let’s Get It On’ song theft dispute to go to USA’s highest court

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Ed Sheeran • 3 min read

Music rights investor wants Ed Sheeran’s ‘Let’s Get It On’ song theft dispute to go to USA’s highest court

The company that accused Ed Sheeran of ripping off Marvin Gaye’s ‘Let’s Get It On’ when writing ‘Thinking Out Loud’ wants the US Supreme Court to consider the case after the Second Circuit appeals court sided with Sheeran. It all swings on a copyright law technicality…

Chris Cooke • 10 Mar 2025

Indie label groups slam Universal as Amazon deal and yet another acquisition raise more red flags

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Universal Music • 3 min read

Indie label groups slam Universal as Amazon deal and yet another acquisition raise more red flags

Indie label trade groups have again aired their concerns about Universal Music’s market dominance in the wake of yet another acquisition by the major. They add that Universal uses that dominance to force streaming services to change their payment policies in a way that disadvantages many indies…

Chris Cooke • 07 Mar 2025

Arrests made in StubHub supplier fraud case that netted “extraordinary profit”

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StubHub • 3 min read

Arrests made in StubHub supplier fraud case that netted “extraordinary profit”

Earlier this week prosecutors in New York announced the arrest of two people involved in a $600,000 ticketing scam, one of whom exploited their position working for a supplier to StubHub. The ticket resale platform has since been keen to stress that it spotted and shut down the fraud…

Chris Cooke • 07 Mar 2025