Music industry legal news

Sacked Copyright Office boss sues Donald Trump

public

US Copyright Office • 3 min read

Sacked Copyright Office boss sues Donald Trump

Dramas continue at the US Copyright Office where boss Shira Perlmutter was sacked by Donald Trump earlier this month just after her team published a report on AI and fair use. She has now sued Trump arguing he didn’t have the power to remove her from her post…

Chris Cooke • 23 May 2025

ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus and country star Martina McBride lead transatlantic creator fightback as AI companies face legislative squeeze

public

EU Artificial Intelligence Act • 5 min read

ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus and country star Martina McBride lead transatlantic creator fightback as AI companies face legislative squeeze

This week saw coordinated creator lobbying in Brussels and Washington as the EU battles over AI Act implementation while the US considers new deepfake protections. Even YouTube is backing federal regulation, suggesting the tide may finally be turning…

Chris Cooke • 22 May 2025

Kneecap threaten to sue industry execs urging festivals to cancel their sets, as band member charged over Hezbollah flag

public

Kneecap • 3 min read

Kneecap threaten to sue industry execs urging festivals to cancel their sets, as band member charged over Hezbollah flag

A member of Kneecap has been charged with a terrorist offence over allegations he expressed support for Hezbollah, a proscribed terrorist group, at a gig last year. It comes as the group’s lawyers threaten legal action against industry execs seeking to get them removed from the Glastonbury line-up…

Chris Cooke • 22 May 2025

US ISPs demand piracy immunity in exchange for implementing web blocking

public

Web blocking • 4 min read

US ISPs demand piracy immunity in exchange for implementing web blocking

Proposals to introduce web-blocking as an anti-piracy tactic in the US have been introduced in Congress this year. It will be much easier to make those proposals law if the ISPs could be persuaded to back the web-blocks. That could as yet happen, but the ISPs seemingly want something in return…

Chris Cooke • 21 May 2025

Government should have “leapt at opportunity” to save creative industries says Kidron, as Data Bill ping pong continues

public

Artificial Intelligence • 3 min read

Government should have “leapt at opportunity” to save creative industries says Kidron, as Data Bill ping pong continues

The House Of Lords is still trying to get transparency obligations for AI companies into the Data Bill, despite the government working hard to stop that from happening. They have again voted to put that obligation back into the legislation, urging the government to support the move this time…

Chris Cooke • 20 May 2025

Universal sued after “tanking the value” of Salt N Pepa’s catalogue

public

Salt N Pepa • 3 min read

Universal sued after “tanking the value” of Salt N Pepa’s catalogue

Salt N Pepa are trying to regain control of their old recordings from Universal by exercising their termination right under US law. But the major has rejected their termination notices, arguing that their original deals were work for hire arrangements, meaning the termination right does not apply…

Chris Cooke • 20 May 2025

No need for US Supreme Court to intervene in ‘Thinking Out Loud’ song-theft dispute, argues Ed Sheeran

public

Ed Sheeran • 3 min read

No need for US Supreme Court to intervene in ‘Thinking Out Loud’ song-theft dispute, argues Ed Sheeran

When a US appeals court ruled that Ed Sheeran’s ‘Thinking Out Loud’ does not infringe the copyright in Marvin Gaye’s ‘Let’s Get It On’, did it rely on guidance from the Copyright Office? If it did, that might be grounds for the US Supreme Court to review the case. Sheeran insists it did not…

Chris Cooke • 19 May 2025

Lambeth Council insists Brockwell Park festivals will go ahead despite High Court ruling saying they are unlawful

public

Brockwell Live • 5 min read

Lambeth Council insists Brockwell Park festivals will go ahead despite High Court ruling saying they are unlawful

A series of festivals kicking off this Friday in South London’s Brockwell Park seemed to be in jeopardy last week when the High Court said the necessary planning permission was not in place. However, the local council says that the legal issues were administrative and can be easily dealt with…

Chris Cooke • 19 May 2025

Drake asking the court to assume Kendrick Lamar’s lyrics are “a factual representation” is “dangerous”, say legal experts

public

Drake • 2 min read

Drake asking the court to assume Kendrick Lamar’s lyrics are “a factual representation” is “dangerous”, say legal experts

Four legal experts have intervened in the defamation legal battle between Drake and Universal. The experts say that the music community has been arguing for sometime that rap lyrics should not be treated as statements of fact in criminal cases, yet Drake now wants to do just that in a civil case…

Chris Cooke • 16 May 2025

The Leadmill has three months to pack up and leave but vows to continue the fight for Sheffield’s music scene

public

The Leadmill • 3 min read

The Leadmill has three months to pack up and leave but vows to continue the fight for Sheffield’s music scene

The Leadmill has failed in its bid to stop an eviction order from landlord The Electric Group, which wants to take over the running of the Sheffield venue. The current Leadmill team sought permission to appeal the eviction order, but that request has been declined by the court…

Chris Cooke • 15 May 2025

SoundCloud’s amended AI clause still “fundamentally terrible for artists” says Ed Newton-Rex

public

SoundCloud • 2 min read

SoundCloud’s amended AI clause still “fundamentally terrible for artists” says Ed Newton-Rex

SoundCloud boss Eliah Seton has responded to concerns about an AI clause in the platform’s terms of service, insisting that the company will use AI for discovery and not various generative uses. The AI clause has been amended, but still isn’t clear enough according to Ed Newton-Rex of Fairly Trained…

Chris Cooke • 15 May 2025

Data Bill ping pong continues as government says ‘financial privilege’ trumps AI transparency

public

Artificial Intelligence • 3 min read

Data Bill ping pong continues as government says ‘financial privilege’ trumps AI transparency

Earlier this week the House Of Lords reinserted an AI transparency obligation that is supported by the music industry into the Data Bill. The government has now said it will get the obligation removed from the final version of the bill by invoking the ‘financial privilege’ of the House Of Commons…

Chris Cooke • 15 May 2025

Music industry legal news coverage