Legal - CMU | the music business explained

US review of BMI and ASCAP favours interests of organisations that want to “pay less to music creators” says letter

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Collective Licensing • 5 min read

US review of BMI and ASCAP favours interests of organisations that want to “pay less to music creators” says letter

The US Copyright Office recently launched an inquiry into the music industry’s performing rights organisations. A new letter signed by thousands of music creators says that inquiry seems skewed towards certain licensees that just want to pay less for the music they utilise in their businesses…

Chris Cooke • 14 Apr 2025

Music industry responds to passing of Martyn’s Law

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Martyn’s Law • 2 min read

Music industry responds to passing of Martyn’s Law

The UK’s new Terrorism (Protection Of Premises) Act, also known as Martyn’s Law, went into effect yesterday, obligating venues to have plans in place to deal with possible terrorist attacks. LIVE says it hopes to work with the government to develop guidance on how venues can meet the new obligations…

Chris Cooke • 04 Apr 2025

Hypocrite Drake sued Universal because he lost a rap battle, says Universal

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Drake • 4 min read

Hypocrite Drake sued Universal because he lost a rap battle, says Universal

Universal Music has responded to Drake’s claims that it defamed him by releasing Kendrick Lamar’s diss track ‘Not Like Us’. Those claims, says the major, are ridiculous, because everyone knows diss tracks contain “rhetorical hyperbole” which amounts to opinion rather than statements of fact…

Chris Cooke • 18 Mar 2025

K-pop labels and agencies want new laws against contract tampering, but no other regulation, as Ador v NewJeans dispute continues

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NewJeans • 4 min read

K-pop labels and agencies want new laws against contract tampering, but no other regulation, as Ador v NewJeans dispute continues

With the ongoing very public dispute between NewJeans and HYBE’s Ador still grabbing the headlines in South Korea, resulting in proposals for regulating the K-pop business, five trade groups for the Korean music industry have said the focus of law-makers should be so called “tampering practices”…

Chris Cooke • 21 Feb 2025

Apple won’t be forced to let Musi back into its app store, rules judge

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Musi • 2 min read

Apple won’t be forced to let Musi back into its app store, rules judge

Apple kicked music app Musi out of its App Store last September. Musi has sued and wants a preliminary injunction forcing Apple to immediately reinstate its app. A judge has declined to issue that injunction, saying Apple’s terms clearly say it can remove any apps at any time “with or without cause”…

Chris Cooke • 03 Feb 2025

Chris Brown files $500 million defamation lawsuit over documentary which, he says, was “full of lies and deception”

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Chris Brown • 2 min read

Chris Brown files $500 million defamation lawsuit over documentary which, he says, was “full of lies and deception”

Warner Bros Discovery has been sued for defamation over a Chris Brown documentary which included claims that he raped a woman in 2020, an allegation the musician strongly denies. In his $500 million lawsuit, he says Discovery knew that woman’s claims were not credible before airing the programme…

Chris Cooke • 22 Jan 2025

Trump says USA should own TikTok after blink-and-you-miss-it ban kicks in

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TikTok • 4 min read

Trump says USA should own TikTok after blink-and-you-miss-it ban kicks in

The TikTok ban in the US went into force yesterday, taking the app offline. For a short time. It then returned after incoming President Trump vowed to issue an executive order later today pausing the ban and removing any liability from companies that continued working with TikTok in the meantime…

Chris Cooke • 20 Jan 2025

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John Lydon • 2 min read

John Lydon in court battle over who owns copyright in Public Image Ltd logo - forty five years after it was created

A legal battle is ongoing between John Lydon and photographer Dennis Morris over who owns the copyright in the logo for Public Image Ltd. Following a pre-trial hearing in court last month, Lydon has filed an amended lawsuit, with Morris then submitting an amended defence and counterclaim last week…

Chris Cooke • 20 Jan 2025

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Ador • 1 min read

Ador seeks injunction to stop NewJeans brand deals

As the legal dispute between HYBE subsidiary Ador and K-pop group NewJeans rumbles on, the label has asked the courts in South Korea to issue an injunction stopping the girl group from entering into new brand deals without its involvement…

Chris Cooke • 14 Jan 2025

Record industry welcomes Notorious Markets Report putting spotlight on bulletproof ISPs

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Piracy • 2 min read

Record industry welcomes Notorious Markets Report putting spotlight on bulletproof ISPs

The US Trade Representative last week published its annual Notorious Markets Report, running through key piracy gripes of the American IP industries. Although counterfeit medicines are a particular focus this year, music industry concerns are also summarised, including those pesky bulletproof ISPs…

Chris Cooke • 14 Jan 2025

TikTok will be fine as soon as consummate dealmaker Trump gets stuck in, says Trump

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TikTok • 4 min read

TikTok will be fine as soon as consummate dealmaker Trump gets stuck in, says Trump

TikTok is due to be banned in the US on 19 Jan. The US Supreme Court could block the ban, though at a hearing last week it seemed judges weren’t likely to go that route. Which means TikTok’s future in the US now rests with “consummate dealmaker” Donald Trump, who still reckons he can solve this one…

Chris Cooke • 13 Jan 2025

Court declines to dismiss sex assault lawsuit against Garth Brooks, after accuser accused the country star of “forum shopping”

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Garth Brooks • 2 min read

Court declines to dismiss sex assault lawsuit against Garth Brooks, after accuser accused the country star of “forum shopping”

A Californian court has declined to dismiss a sexual assault lawsuit filed against Garth Brooks. He has also sued his accuser through the courts in Mississippi and says she should make her allegations in a counterclaim to that lawsuit. She argued that that amounted to unfair “forum shopping”…

Chris Cooke • 13 Dec 2024