Sigel charges dropped
Prosecutors have withdrawn charges against Beanie Sigel after he paid the outstanding fees on a rental car, which had been reported stolen.…
Music industry legal news coverage
Our round up of legal battles, courtroom drama, copyright disputes and everything else.
4162 posts
Britney loses visitation rights
Britney Spears has lost her visitation rights with her children after an LA court ruled she had failed to comply with its orders, with her custody case due back on 26 October.…
Canadian Copyright Board rule on download royalties
Canada's Copyright Board has set a total publishing royalty of 11.3% on download sales from 1996 to 2006, ending a decade-long dispute between the publishing and recording sectors.…
Elliott Smith's girlfriend fails in money claim
A Californian appellate court has ruled that Jennifer Chiba, Elliott Smith's girlfriend, cannot claim 15% of his estate as an unlicensed agent, though an implied co-habitation claim may remain.…
C-Murder retrial date set
A retrial date of 11 February next year has been set for rapper C-Murder, who faces a second degree murder charge over a 2002 Louisiana nightclub shooting.…
Foxy makes it to court
Foxy Brown has pleaded not guilty in court to assault charges over an alleged mobile phone attack, and is due back on 17 December.…
Record labels sue Usenet.com
Major US record companies have sued Usenet.com for copyright infringement, alleging it sells access to pirated music via newsgroups, and are seeking an injunction and damages.…
EMI pension fund calls in regulator over Terra Firma's contributions
EMI's pension trustees have referred a dispute with new owners Terra Firma over funding contributions to the pensions regulator, while Terra Firma insists no change is needed.…
Britney gets fingerprinted
Britney Spears has been photographed and fingerprinted at an LA police station ahead of a hearing over an alleged hit and run, while a Virgin Megastore mix-up gave her an ex's album.…
Jackson ordered to pay even more to unpaid lawyers
Michael Jackson has been ordered to pay law firm Ayscough And Marar an extra $175,000 in legal costs, bringing his total debt to the firm to $430,000.…
French rocker Cantat to be released early
Bertrand Cantat, jailed for killing actress Marie Trintignant, will be released early on conditions including psychological treatment and not mentioning the case publicly or in his music.…
Lib Dems call for grass roots live music licensing review
The Liberal Democrats will challenge the government in the House Of Lords to review the 2003 Licensing Act, which they say has discouraged live music in pubs and small venues.…