Music industry legal news

Only humans can be ‘authors’ say Canadian music publishers in test case on copyright status of AI-generated works

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Music Publishers Canada • 3 min read

Only humans can be ‘authors’ say Canadian music publishers in test case on copyright status of AI-generated works

The debate over the copyright status of AI-generated works continues, and in Canada there’s a key court battle as part of that debate centered on an AI-generated artwork. The precedent set in that case could impact on music copyright too, so Canada’s music publishers have formally intervened…

Chris Cooke • 24 Jul 2026

French Parliament passes a social media ban for under fifteens, as social media platforms face ramped up regulation across Europe

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• 3 min read

French Parliament passes a social media ban for under fifteens, as social media platforms face ramped up regulation across Europe

France has passed a law banning under fifteens from using social media that will go into effect in September. Other European countries are set to follow France’s lead while the EU is proposing other new social media regulation, all of which will impact on artists seeking to reach younger audiences…

Chris Cooke • 23 Jul 2026

AFM insists ‘new use’ clause in its musicians agreement applies to AI - and that any other interpretation is “nonsensical”

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AFM • 3 min read

AFM insists ‘new use’ clause in its musicians agreement applies to AI - and that any other interpretation is “nonsensical”

US musicians’ union AFM reckons a ‘new use’ clause in its agreement with the labels means Warner and Universal should be sharing income for their Udio deals with its members. But there’s a disagreement over how that clause should be interpreted. AFM says the majors’ interpretation is “nonsensical”…

Chris Cooke • 22 Jul 2026

Sony Music sues Udio for a second time, with the extra 30,000 recordings that could result in $4.5 billion damages

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Sony Music • 3 min read

Sony Music sues Udio for a second time, with the extra 30,000 recordings that could result in $4.5 billion damages

Sony Music has sued Udio. Again. It wanted to add 30,000+ extra recordings to its original lawsuit, boosting the potential damages it could seek to over $4.5 billion. But the judge wouldn’t allow that late-in-the-day change, so Sony has simply filed a second lawsuit listing the extra 30,000 tracks…

Chris Cooke • 21 Jul 2026

Madison Square Garden sues Wired over claim the NYC venue keeps a list of gay celebrities

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Madison Square Garden • 3 min read

Madison Square Garden sues Wired over claim the NYC venue keeps a list of gay celebrities

Hacker group Shiny Hunters recently leaked 45 GB of data grabbed from New York venue Madison Square Garden, prompting a Wired report headlined ‘MSG kept a list of gay celebrities’. MSG reckons that report was deliberately and unethically misleading and has now sued for defamation…

Chris Cooke • 20 Jul 2026

As the music publishers drop their big copyright lawsuit against X, does US copyright law need a rewrite?

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X • 5 min read

As the music publishers drop their big copyright lawsuit against X, does US copyright law need a rewrite?

The music publishers that sued X for copyright infringement have ended their litigation. The lawsuit was a long-time coming given all the unlicensed music that is included in videos on X, but the recent landmark ruling in the majors v Cox case greatly weakened the publisher’s legal arguments…

Chris Cooke • 20 Jul 2026

Kanye West sued by photo agency over sample of rapper’s paparazzi outburst

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Kanye West • 2 min read

Kanye West sued by photo agency over sample of rapper’s paparazzi outburst

Another day another Kanye West uncleared sample lawsuit. Though this one’s a bit different. His 2024 collaboration with French Montana, ‘Where They At’, opens with a 2013 clip of West lashing out at the paparazzi. And the paparazzi agency that owns that clip is now suing for copyright infringement…

Chris Cooke • 17 Jul 2026

Bad Bunny asks judge to reconsider ‘dembow riddim’ ruling, argues Steely & Clevie are seeking to protect a ‘Frankenstein’ work

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Bad Bunny • 3 min read

Bad Bunny asks judge to reconsider ‘dembow riddim’ ruling, argues Steely & Clevie are seeking to protect a ‘Frankenstein’ work

Bad Bunny wants the judge in the ‘dembow riddim’ case that could impact on the entire reggaeton genre to reconsider his recent ruling that a dispute over the copyright status of the beat should go to a jury. He says the judge failed to address a “fundamental defect” in the other side’s lawsuit…

Chris Cooke • 16 Jul 2026

Proposals to force music distributors in Korea to label “hateful” lyrics before release criticised by cultural groups

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South Korea • 2 min read

Proposals to force music distributors in Korea to label “hateful” lyrics before release criticised by cultural groups

Cultural groups have criticised proposals in South Korea to force music distributors to review lyrics before releasing new music to label or even block songs with lyrical content that could be harmful to minors. Critics say the proposals provide no “concrete criteria” for defining harm…

Chris Cooke • 16 Jul 2026

Music industry welcomes Australian PM’s statement that AI training without artist control is theft

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Artificial Intelligence • 3 min read

Music industry welcomes Australian PM’s statement that AI training without artist control is theft

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese today gave a speech on AI in which he said creators must have control over the use of their work in AI training. That statement has been welcomed by the music industry, given the fierce tech sector lobbying in Australia seeking AI-friendly copyright reform…

Chris Cooke • 15 Jul 2026

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Live Nation • 3 min read

NIVA urges music community to tell antitrust judge why Live Nation's DoJ deal is not in the public interest

US music fans and industry professionals can currently submit comments about the antitrust settlement agreed between Live Nation and the US Department Of Justice. Venue trade group NIVA, which believes that settlement is not in the public interest, is urging those who agree to make a submission…

Chris Cooke • 15 Jul 2026

StubHub claiming to be a fan-to-fan marketplace while its head honcho finances professional super touts is fraudulent concealment, says class action lawsuit

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StubHub • 3 min read

StubHub claiming to be a fan-to-fan marketplace while its head honcho finances professional super touts is fraudulent concealment, says class action lawsuit

Last week it was revealed that StubHub CEO Eric Baker is also MD of a company that is directly involved in touting tickets, a revelation that could hinder the company’s ongoing lobbying efforts in the US and beyond. It has also prompted a class action lawsuit filed by a ticket buyer…

Chris Cooke • 14 Jul 2026

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