Chris Cooke - CMU | the music business explained (Page 2)

Looking for a cheap Labubu? The latest Notorious Markets anti-piracy report might be just what you need

public

Notorious Markets Report • 3 min read

Looking for a cheap Labubu? The latest Notorious Markets anti-piracy report might be just what you need

The US government has published its annual ‘Notorious Markets’ report, putting the spotlight on piracy platforms that it would like lawmakers in other countries to crack down on. This year’s edition includes a special focus on sports piracy, though it also highlights music industry piracy concerns…

Chris Cooke • 05 Mar 2026

Chance The Rapper and Pat The Manager bust-up heads to court over disputed sunset clause

public

Chance The Rapper • 3 min read

Chance The Rapper and Pat The Manager bust-up heads to court over disputed sunset clause

The big legal battle between Chance The Rapper and his former manager Patrick Corcoran has arrived in court in the US. They stopped working together in 2020, but Corcoran said his management deal allowed him to continue commissioning for three more years. That deal, however, was never written down…

Chris Cooke • 05 Mar 2026

Taylor Swift and Barclays Center ticketing controversies prove monopolist Live Nation is damaging live music, DoJ tells jury

public

Live Nation • 4 min read

Taylor Swift and Barclays Center ticketing controversies prove monopolist Live Nation is damaging live music, DoJ tells jury

The Live Nation antitrust trial got properly underway yesterday, with lawyers for the US Department Of Justice and the live giant - both called Dave - delivering their opening statements. Ticketing dramas involving Taylor Swift and New York’s Barclays Center were a key part of the proceedings…

Chris Cooke • 04 Mar 2026

No copyright for AI-generated works in US as Supreme Court refuses to intervene in earlier landmark ruling

public

Artificial Intelligence • 3 min read

No copyright for AI-generated works in US as Supreme Court refuses to intervene in earlier landmark ruling

Do AI-generated works enjoy copyright protection? The US Copyright Office is adamant they do not under current American law and that position has been endorsed by various courts. The Supreme Court has now declined to get involved, meaning that position stands. But should AI works enjoy protection?…

Chris Cooke • 03 Mar 2026

Live Nation is an illegal monopoly and needs to be held to account, says California Attorney General as DoJ lawsuit kicks off

public

Live Nation • 3 min read

Live Nation is an illegal monopoly and needs to be held to account, says California Attorney General as DoJ lawsuit kicks off

The US government’s antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation has reached the courtroom, with the live giant’s attempts to pause the trial having failed. One of the state attorney generals involved says Live Nation has illegally manipulated the market and “we look forward to holding them accountable”…

Chris Cooke • 03 Mar 2026

Judge let’s Kanye West sample lawsuit proceed, but only because he commercialised his demos

public

Kanye West • 3 min read

Judge let’s Kanye West sample lawsuit proceed, but only because he commercialised his demos

Kanye West’s lawyers last week enjoyed some success in an uncleared sample dispute over ‘Donda’ tracks, with a lawsuit being cut back to only claims relating to demo versions. They also had another go at getting a discrimination lawsuit filed by a former employee dismissed on free speech grounds…

Chris Cooke • 02 Mar 2026

Australia’s Rolling Loud gets cancelled as festival and promoter pin blame on each other

public

Rolling Loud • 2 min read

Australia’s Rolling Loud gets cancelled as festival and promoter pin blame on each other

The Rolling Loud hip hop festival was due to return to Australia this weekend, but was cancelled on Friday. US-based Rolling Loud said in a statement that its partner on the Australian editions, Primuse Entertainment, “failed to meet critical payment deadlines”. But Primuse has disputed those claims…

Chris Cooke • 02 Mar 2026

public

Primary Wave • 2 min read

Primary Wave in talks to buy Kobalt

More mergers are incoming in the world of music rights. Following the news that BMG is in talks to buy Concord, it’s now looking likely Kobalt will be bought by Primary Wave. It means both the bigger independent music publishers will likely get even bigger in 2026…

Chris Cooke • 27 Feb 2026

Judge looks set to tell Live Nation to quit dilly dallying as DoJ gears up for its day in court

public

Live Nation • 3 min read

Judge looks set to tell Live Nation to quit dilly dallying as DoJ gears up for its day in court

The big US antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation is due to get to trial next week. However, Live Nation wants to delay the proceedings by appealing a recent ruling made in the case. But the judge overseeing the legal battle, Arun Subramanian, says he’s inclined to deny Live Nation’s request…

Chris Cooke • 26 Feb 2026

Ador founder Min Hee-Jin tells HYBE to grow up and leave her and NewJeans alone

public

Ador • 3 min read

Ador founder Min Hee-Jin tells HYBE to grow up and leave her and NewJeans alone

Ador founder Min Hee-Jin has offered her former business partner HYBE a $17.9 million truce. A Korean court recently ordered HYBE to pay Min $17.9 million to buy back her Ador shares. But she says she’ll give that payment up if HYBE calls off all the other litigation relating to her and NewJeans…

Chris Cooke • 26 Feb 2026

Lambeth Council gives go ahead for Brockwell Live, but councillor says “the local community don’t feel like they’ve been heard”

public

Brockwell Live • 3 min read

Lambeth Council gives go ahead for Brockwell Live, but councillor says “the local community don’t feel like they’ve been heard”

Members of Lambeth Council’s planning committee have unanimously approved plans for Brockwell Live to be staged in the London borough’s Brockwell Park again this summer. That’s despite high profile opposition from local residents who, according to one councillor, “don’t feel like they’ve been heard”…

Chris Cooke • 25 Feb 2026

Lambeth Council set to rubberstamp Brockwell Live for 2026, despite best efforts of local NIMBYs

public

Brockwell Live • 3 min read

Lambeth Council set to rubberstamp Brockwell Live for 2026, despite best efforts of local NIMBYs

Lambeth Council will tomorrow decide whether to allow the Brockwell Live festivals to take place in Brockwell Park this summer. This year the events are going through a full planning permission process after local residents successfully challenged the way the council previously fast-tracked approval…

Chris Cooke • 23 Feb 2026