Music industry legal news

Another class action is filed over the Apple Tax on music streaming, this time in France

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Apple • 3 min read

Another class action is filed over the Apple Tax on music streaming, this time in France

Another consumer rights group is suing Apple over its App Store rules regarding payments within music apps like the Spotify app. France’s CLCV says that Apple’s rules meant some music subscribers suffered “economic and moral harms”, including having to pay higher than necessary subscription fees…

Chris Cooke • 25 Nov 2025

Technology Secretary Liz Kendall ready to reset discussion on AI, but cautions creator friendly legal reform can’t be rushed

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Artificial Intelligence • 3 min read

Technology Secretary Liz Kendall ready to reset discussion on AI, but cautions creator friendly legal reform can’t be rushed

The UK’s new Technology Secretary says she is “resetting the discussion” around copyright and AI, keen to reassure the creative industries their concerns are being heard by the government. Though don’t expect any immediate changes to copyright law, because “there’s a lot of detail to work out here”…

Chris Cooke • 24 Nov 2025

Megan Thee Stallion testifies in Milagro Gramz YouTube defamation battle

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Megan Thee Stallion • 2 min read

Megan Thee Stallion testifies in Milagro Gramz YouTube defamation battle

Megan Thee Stallion’s defamation battle with YouTuber Milagro Gramz has been in court this week. Yesterday the rapper delivered an emotionally charged testimony, explaining that Gramz “created a space for a lot of people to come speak negatively about me”, causing her considerable emotional distress…

Chris Cooke • 21 Nov 2025

Fugee Pras Michel jailed for fourteen years after illegal lobbying

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Pras • 2 min read

Fugee Pras Michel jailed for fourteen years after illegal lobbying

Pras from The Fugees has been jailed for fourteen years after being convicted over illegal lobbying after taking millions from fugitive Malaysian billionaire Jho Low to influence US politicians on his behalf. A legal rep for Pras says the sentence is “completely disproportionate to the offence”…

Chris Cooke • 21 Nov 2025

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Warner Music • 3 min read

Warner Music boss outlines AI strategy of “legislate, litigate and license”, but only commits to artist opt-in on “name, image, likeness and voice”

Warner has followed Universal’s lead and settled its lawsuit with music AI start-up Udio, and entered into a licensing deal covering Udio’s new service. Warner CEO Robert Kyncl has written a blog post on the major’s AI strategy, though his commitment on artist consent is unlikely to placate creators…

Chris Cooke • 20 Nov 2025

Live Nation says DoJ antitrust case is based on “gerrymandered” stats and no real evidence

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Live Nation • 3 min read

Live Nation says DoJ antitrust case is based on “gerrymandered” stats and no real evidence

Live Nation has told the judge overseeing its antitrust legal battle with the US government that he should issue a summary judgment in its favour. The government has failed to provide any evidence of anticompetitive conduct, it claims, and is instead relying on “gerrymandered” market share stats…

Chris Cooke • 20 Nov 2025

StubHub share price craters as UK prepares to announce ticket touting ban

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StubHub • 3 min read

StubHub share price craters as UK prepares to announce ticket touting ban

The UK government is expected to announce a ban of for-profit ticket touting tomorrow, making good on a previous promise to better regulate ticket resale. Reports of the ban in the financial press have already caused the share price of Viagogo’s owner, US-based StubHub, to slump…

Chris Cooke • 18 Nov 2025

Regulators must consider UMG’s AI deals in Downtown case, says IAO President

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Universal Music • 3 min read

Regulators must consider UMG’s AI deals in Downtown case, says IAO President

As EU competition regulators continue to investigate Universal’s bid to buy Downtown, the President of global artist group IAO has written to European Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis to stress that the major’s new AI licensing deals must be considered as part of that investigation…

Chris Cooke • 17 Nov 2025

North American songwriter groups join call for transparency and creator consent as music companies start signing AI deals

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MCNA • 3 min read

North American songwriter groups join call for transparency and creator consent as music companies start signing AI deals

Music Creators North America have called on labels and publishers to commit to deal transparency and creator consent around any agreements they reach with AI companies, such as Universal’s deal with Udio. They join the US Music Artists Coalition and UK Council Of Music Makers in making those demands…

Chris Cooke • 14 Nov 2025

Starmer must “honour his pledge” to cap prices in “extortionate and pernicious” secondary ticketing market

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Secondary Ticketing • 3 min read

Starmer must “honour his pledge” to cap prices in “extortionate and pernicious” secondary ticketing market

Artists and music industry organisations have told Keir Starmer that he needs to urgently “honour his pledge” to better regulate ticket touting and confirm a timeline for introducing a ticket resale price cap. Starmer committed to new ticketing regulations before last year’s General Election…

Chris Cooke • 13 Nov 2025

Downtown accused of planning “calculated destruction” of a short-lived YouTube music client in bombastic new lawsuit

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Downtown Music • 4 min read

Downtown accused of planning “calculated destruction” of a short-lived YouTube music client in bombastic new lawsuit

Downtown has been accused of plotting the “calculated destruction” of YouTube music company Blast Off Media, after taking it on as a distribution client in August and then terminating its distribution agreement almost immediately. Blast Off’s lawyers also link the lawsuit to UMG’s Downtown deal…

Chris Cooke • 12 Nov 2025

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

Music industry legal news coverage