Music industry legal news

New allegations made in Diddy criminal case, while Jay-Z hits back again at the lawyer who pulled him into a Diddy lawsuit

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Diddy • 3 min read

New allegations made in Diddy criminal case, while Jay-Z hits back again at the lawyer who pulled him into a Diddy lawsuit

More allegations have been made against Diddy by prosecutors in the criminal case that accuses the musician of racketeering and sex trafficking. Meanwhile Jay-Z is still in a back and forth with the lawyer who added him as a co-defendant on one of the lawsuits accusing Diddy of sexual assault…

Chris Cooke • 31 Jan 2025

Simply prompting an AI model doesn’t make you the author of a copyrighted work, according to the US Copyright Office

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US Copyright Office • 3 min read

Simply prompting an AI model doesn’t make you the author of a copyrighted work, according to the US Copyright Office

When people have tried to register AI-generated works with the US Copyright Office, it has always said that only AI-assisted works enjoy copyright protection. It reaffirms that position in a new report, but provides more information on how to distinguish between AI-generated and AI-assisted content…

Chris Cooke • 30 Jan 2025

Judge throws out MLC’s audiobooks bundle lawsuit, says Spotify can keep cutting songwriter royalties through its “cynical trick”

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MLC • 5 min read

Judge throws out MLC’s audiobooks bundle lawsuit, says Spotify can keep cutting songwriter royalties through its “cynical trick”

The MLC’s lawsuit targeting Spotify’s “cynical trick” to reduce royalties to songwriters through its US-subscriber audiobooks bundle has been thrown out by the court, with the judge saying there is “no set of facts” that the collecting society could use to support its position…

Sam Taylor • 30 Jan 2025

Playboi Carti sued by former collaborator over unpaid royalties on 2017 track

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Playboi Carti • 2 min read

Playboi Carti sued by former collaborator over unpaid royalties on 2017 track

A singer and producer who provided vocals for Playboi Carti track ‘Kelly K’ says he has never been paid any royalties, despite being allocated a 5% share of the song copyright. He’s suing Playboi Carti as a result, though it’s not clear if those royalties should have been coming via the rapper…

Chris Cooke • 29 Jan 2025

Eminem sues local Ford dealership over “one shot” TikTok rip-off

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Eminem • 2 min read

Eminem sues local Ford dealership over “one shot” TikTok rip-off

A Ford dealership in Michigan is the latest company to be sued for using music in promotional videos on TikTok without securing the necessary licences. LaFontaine Ford St Clair has been sued by Eminem’s publisher Eight Mile Style after it used ‘Lose Yourself’ in social media posts last autumn…

Chris Cooke • 28 Jan 2025

Universal tries to get Drake petition in Texas courts dismissed by arguing he’s relying on mere “hearsay”

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Drake • 2 min read

Universal tries to get Drake petition in Texas courts dismissed by arguing he’s relying on mere “hearsay”

Last year Drake filed petitions against Universal Music with courts in New York and Texas, accusing it of employing dodgy tactics when promoting Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’. The New York petition was replaced by the big defamation lawsuit, but the Texas one stands. Universal wants it dismissed…

Chris Cooke • 27 Jan 2025

Jay-Z’s bid to dismiss sexual assault lawsuit is “outrageous and unprecedented attempt” to silence his accuser, says lawyer

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Jay-Z • 2 min read

Jay-Z’s bid to dismiss sexual assault lawsuit is “outrageous and unprecedented attempt” to silence his accuser, says lawyer

Earlier this month Jay-Z called for the lawsuit that accuses him of rape to be dismissed and the lawyer who filed it to be sanctioned. That lawyer, Tony Buzbee, has now responded, calling Jay-Z’s motion for dismissal an “outrageous and unprecedented attempt” to silence his client…

Chris Cooke • 24 Jan 2025

French Supreme Court says bank had right to stop taking payments for file-storage platform on piracy grounds

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1fichier.com • 2 min read

French Supreme Court says bank had right to stop taking payments for file-storage platform on piracy grounds

In 2015, Société Générale stopped providing services to file-storage platform 1fichier.com because of complaints it hadn’t done enough to stop copyright infringement. It argued that copyright complaints were not grounds for cutting it off, but the French Supreme Court has now ruled that they were…

Chris Cooke • 24 Jan 2025

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs sues for defamation over claims videos exist showing him sexually assaulting celebrities and minors

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Diddy • 1 min read

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs sues for defamation over claims videos exist showing him sexually assaulting celebrities and minors

Diddy has sued a man who claims he has videos showing the musician sexually assaulting celebrities and minors. No such videos exist, Diddy claims in a defamation lawsuit that also targets news network NewsNation, which - it says - provided a platform for distributing the “outlandish claims”…

Chris Cooke • 23 Jan 2025

Suno’s content “obviously infringes copyrights” of prominent German songwriters says GEMA lawsuit

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Suno • 3 min read

Suno’s content “obviously infringes copyrights” of prominent German songwriters says GEMA lawsuit

GEMA has sued another AI company for copyright infringement. Having sued OpenAI last year, it has now filed a lawsuit against music AI platform Suno. While Suno has already been sued by the major labels in the US, this lawsuit will test the copyright obligations of the AI company under European law…

Chris Cooke • 21 Jan 2025

As TikTok gets 75-day reprieve, industry experts urge artists and labels to diversify social strategy

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TikTok • 4 min read

As TikTok gets 75-day reprieve, industry experts urge artists and labels to diversify social strategy

The TikTok ban in the US has been officially paused for 75 days by incoming President Donald Trump. However, the app’s future in the US remains uncertain, meaning artists should use those 75 days to strengthen their presence on other platforms and to also encourage fans to connect by email…

Chris Cooke • 21 Jan 2025

Nelly wants former bandmate’s lawyers sanctioned in dispute over ‘Country Grammar’ copyrights

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Nelly • 2 min read

Nelly wants former bandmate’s lawyers sanctioned in dispute over ‘Country Grammar’ copyrights

Last year Nelly was sued by a former bandmate who claimed he co-wrote songs on the musician’s 2000 debut album ‘Country Grammar’ but was never paid any royalties. Now Nelly’s team want the former bandmate’s lawyers sanctioned on the basis the copyright claim was “objectively frivolous”…

Chris Cooke • 17 Jan 2025

Music industry legal news coverage