Music industry legal news

Drake wants to trawl through Papa Grainge’s emails in ‘Not Like Us’ libel battle

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Drake • 3 min read

Drake wants to trawl through Papa Grainge’s emails in ‘Not Like Us’ libel battle

Drake’s defamation battle with Universal Music over its role in releasing Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’ is in the discovery phase. Drake wants access to Lucian Grainge’s emails, but the major has so far refused. The rapper’s lawyers now want the court to force Universal to open up Grainge’s inbox…

Chris Cooke • 13 Aug 2025

Music publishers want to amend Anthropic lawsuit because of pirated lyrics

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Anthropic • 2 min read

Music publishers want to amend Anthropic lawsuit because of pirated lyrics

Music publishers locked in a legal battle with AI company Anthropic want to amend their lawsuit, because of a recent ruling in another copyright case involving Anthropic. Following that ruling, it’s important the publishers stress that the AI business used pirated lyrics when training its model…

Chris Cooke • 13 Aug 2025

Shoe shop TikTok spat escalates as Sony sues DSW over unlicensed music

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Sony Music • 2 min read

Shoe shop TikTok spat escalates as Sony sues DSW over unlicensed music

DSW Shoe Warehouse has been sued a second time, this time by Sony Music, for putting pop songs in its social posts without securing the necessary licences. The shoe seller pre-empted the lawsuit last month insisting that its marketeers were misled by social platforms regarding using music in videos…

Chris Cooke • 12 Aug 2025

Australian music industry says proposed AI copyright exception would be “a dangerous step backwards”

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Artificial Intelligence • 3 min read

Australian music industry says proposed AI copyright exception would be “a dangerous step backwards”

Last week the Australian government’s Productivity Commission invited feedback on the proposal that a new exception be added to the country’s copyright law to benefit AI companies. The music industry has hit back at that proposal, with indie label group AIR calling it “a dangerous step backwards”…

Chris Cooke • 11 Aug 2025

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Streaming Levy • 3 min read

US Republicans want Trump to use trade talk pressure to kill Canada’s streaming levy

US politicians are going after the new Canadian streaming levy. After pressure from Donald Trump prompted Canada to drop its Digital Services Tax, Republicans have now urged the White House to similarly pressure the Canadian government over the separate 5% levy on streaming services…

Chris Cooke • 11 Aug 2025

SoundExchange can’t sue Sirius in federal courts, says judge in royalties dispute

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SoundExchange • 3 min read

SoundExchange can’t sue Sirius in federal courts, says judge in royalties dispute

A US judge has said that collecting society SoundExchange doesn’t have the right to file lawsuits in order to enforce its members’ rights. Which isn’t ideal. That ruling has been made in SoundExchange’s ongoing royalties dispute with satellite broadcaster Sirius, which it sued in 2023…

Chris Cooke • 08 Aug 2025

HYBE founder returning to Korea to deal with mounting controversies, he tells staff in leaked memo

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Hybe • 2 min read

HYBE founder returning to Korea to deal with mounting controversies, he tells staff in leaked memo

HYBE founder Bang Si-hyuk has told staff that he is returning to Korea to “transparently work” with officials investigating allegations he misled investors ahead of the company’s IPO. Bang has been in the US of late, which he says “contributed to confusion and frustration” around the investigation…

Chris Cooke • 07 Aug 2025

Salt N Pepa say its “time to fight for our rights” as Universal legal bust up continues

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Salt N Pepa • 3 min read

Salt N Pepa say its “time to fight for our rights” as Universal legal bust up continues

Salt N Pepa have spoken about their legal dispute with Universal Music. The duo want to exercise the termination right and reclaim rights in their 1980s recordings. The major says they don’t qualify. But, the rappers insist, that right is meant to protect the artist and “we are the artist”…

Chris Cooke • 07 Aug 2025

Boomtown ups drugs policing as coroner says dealers operated freely at festival

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Boomtown • 3 min read

Boomtown ups drugs policing as coroner says dealers operated freely at festival

A coroner has reported on his inquest into the drug-related death of a festival-goer at last year’s Boomtown, concluding that drugs were “freely available to purchase” at the event. Local police say plans are in place this year to “disrupt” the sale of drugs on site at the festival…

Chris Cooke • 06 Aug 2025

Sony sues Napster over $9.2 million in unpaid royalties

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Sony Music • 2 min read

Sony sues Napster over $9.2 million in unpaid royalties

Following reports earlier this year that Napster wasn’t paying all the royalties that were due to the music industry, Sony Music has now sued the streaming service. It says Napster hasn’t been paying its bills for over a year now and new owner Infinite Reality hasn’t fixed the problem…

Kaya Robertson • 05 Aug 2025

US music creators welcome latest proposal for web-blocking, which big tech dubs “a tool for censorship”

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Web blocking • 3 min read

US music creators welcome latest proposal for web-blocking, which big tech dubs “a tool for censorship”

More proposals were made last week to introduce web-blocking as an anti-piracy tool for copyright owners under US law. Music creators have welcomed the proposals, called the Block BEARD Act, but big tech says web-blocks are “a dangerous mechanism” that will result in legitimate content being blocked…

Chris Cooke • 04 Aug 2025

Controversial ruling on US termination right fulfills the intention of Congress, say creators

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Copyright • 4 min read

Controversial ruling on US termination right fulfills the intention of Congress, say creators

Earlier this year a court ruling expanded the scope of the termination right in US copyright law, saying that creators can reclaim rights globally, not just in the US. That potentially overturns longstanding industry convention, but creator groups insist it was the right ruling and should be upheld…

Chris Cooke • 01 Aug 2025

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