Chris Cooke - CMU | the music business explained

Musician sues Suno and Udio, says indie artists have been “trampled the most” by unlicensed AI

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Artificial Intelligence • 3 min read

Musician sues Suno and Udio, says indie artists have been “trampled the most” by unlicensed AI

A musician has sued Suno and Udio, filing a class action lawsuit against the AI companies that seeks to represent all indie artists in the US. Although the majors are already suing both start-ups, Anthony Justice argues that it’s independent artists whose rights have “been trampled the most” by AI…

Chris Cooke • 17 Jun 2025

Kneecap pull together supporters and legal team ahead of Liam O’Hanna’s court hearing on terror charge

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Kneecap • 2 min read

Kneecap pull together supporters and legal team ahead of Liam O’Hanna’s court hearing on terror charge

Kneecap member Liam O’Hanna is due in court tomorrow on a terror charge over allegations he displayed support for Hezbollah at a London gig last year. The band say they are being targeted by the British establishment and have announced the legal team they hope will defeat the charge against O’Hanna…

Chris Cooke • 17 Jun 2025

Downtown deal part of Universal strategy to “undermine vitality and viability” of indie sector, cautions competition law expert

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Downtown Music Holdings • 4 min read

Downtown deal part of Universal strategy to “undermine vitality and viability” of indie sector, cautions competition law expert

The European Union is in the process of assessing Universal’s deal to buy Downtown, and whether it should undertake a more in-depth investigation. Competition law expert Amelia Fletcher says it definitely should, because the deal threatens competition, choice and innovation in the music industry…

Chris Cooke • 16 Jun 2025

Major labels “bewildered” by why Trump appointee would meddle in Cox Communications piracy case

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Cox Communications • 2 min read

Major labels “bewildered” by why Trump appointee would meddle in Cox Communications piracy case

Donald Trump’s Solicitor General recently urged the US Supreme Court to intervene in the major labels’ legal battle with ISP Cox, expressing concerns that precedent set in the case could lead to millions of internet disconnections. The majors now say that intervention is “bewildering” and wrong…

Chris Cooke • 13 Jun 2025

Talent agency CAA accuses founders of rival company Range of “spy novel” plot to launch competing business

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CAA • 2 min read

Talent agency CAA accuses founders of rival company Range of “spy novel” plot to launch competing business

The already dramatic legal battle between agency CAA and rival company Range - set up in 2020 by a team of former CAA agents - ramped up this week. CAA says it has new evidence that shows Range’s founders employed spy-novel type tactics to steal confidential information from their former employer…

Chris Cooke • 13 Jun 2025

AI platform Midjourney is “bottomless pit of plagiarism” say Hollywood studios as they join legal battle against AI

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Artificial Intelligence • 3 min read

AI platform Midjourney is “bottomless pit of plagiarism” say Hollywood studios as they join legal battle against AI

Film studios Disney and Universal have sued Midjourney claiming that its image-generating AI is “a bottomless pit of plagiarism”. Although a movie industry case, it’s relevant to the music business too, with the RIAA stating that the studios’ lawsuit is “a critical stand for human creativity”…

Chris Cooke • 12 Jun 2025

Don’t gaslight MPs warns Caroline Dinenage as she says ministers have got into a “terrible pickle” over AI

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Artificial Intelligence • 4 min read

Don’t gaslight MPs warns Caroline Dinenage as she says ministers have got into a “terrible pickle” over AI

The House Of Lords is now expected to pass the Data Bill without the provisions on AI transparency it has been trying hard to include. The government says it has listened to the Lords and in response committed to publish some reports. But, that’s just “pushing the can down the road”, say critics…

Chris Cooke • 11 Jun 2025

What does ‘egregious infringement’ even mean, asks Grande as it ridicules majors’ latest piracy filing

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Grande Communications • 3 min read

What does ‘egregious infringement’ even mean, asks Grande as it ridicules majors’ latest piracy filing

Grande Communications wants the US Supreme Court to overturn a $47 million judgement against it in a piracy case pursued by the major record companies. The majors recently argued that judgement was sound because it related to “egregious copyright infringement”. In a new filing, Grande disagrees…

Chris Cooke • 11 Jun 2025

As another festival falls, AIF proposes new tax relief scheme

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Association Of Independent Festivals • 2 min read

As another festival falls, AIF proposes new tax relief scheme

As Homestead, a new festival in Somerset, announces it can’t go ahead due to tough economic factors, AIF has again called for more government support for festivals, switching its main demand from a VAT cut on tickets to a new tax relief scheme for smaller events…

Chris Cooke • 10 Jun 2025

Industry and policymakers should work together to stop two-tier streaming market taking hold, says new IMPALA report

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IMPALA • 3 min read

Industry and policymakers should work together to stop two-tier streaming market taking hold, says new IMPALA report

IMPALA has published a new report on the streaming business, criticising recent trends that are creating a two-tier market that favours the majors. It calls on industry and policymakers to work together to ensure a steaming ecosystem that “supports innovation, inclusivity and sustainable growth”…

Chris Cooke • 10 Jun 2025

Campaigners say second round of legal action should stop “misuse of planning powers” that allowed Brockwell Park festivals to go ahead

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Brockwell Live • 3 min read

Campaigners say second round of legal action should stop “misuse of planning powers” that allowed Brockwell Park festivals to go ahead

While the 2025 edition of Brockwell Live is over, the legal battle over the use of London’s Brockwell Park as a festival venue continues. Local campaigners have launched a second judicial review which they say should stop the “misuse of planning powers” that allowed the 2025 festivals to proceed…

Chris Cooke • 09 Jun 2025

Hipgnosis acquisition further expands Sony’s publishing dominance, though Cooking Vinyl stays indie with Exceleration Music deal

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Hipgnosis • 4 min read

Hipgnosis acquisition further expands Sony’s publishing dominance, though Cooking Vinyl stays indie with Exceleration Music deal

Two more acquisitions in the music rights business. Sony has bought one of the Hipgnosis catalogues that wasn’t included when the rest of Hipgnosis revamped as the Recognition Music Group in March. Meanwhile Cooking Vinyl has been bought, but will stay indie, being acquired by Exceleration Music…

Chris Cooke • 09 Jun 2025