Music industry legal news

Music rights investor wants Ed Sheeran’s ‘Let’s Get It On’ song theft dispute to go to USA’s highest court

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Ed Sheeran • 3 min read

Music rights investor wants Ed Sheeran’s ‘Let’s Get It On’ song theft dispute to go to USA’s highest court

The company that accused Ed Sheeran of ripping off Marvin Gaye’s ‘Let’s Get It On’ when writing ‘Thinking Out Loud’ wants the US Supreme Court to consider the case after the Second Circuit appeals court sided with Sheeran. It all swings on a copyright law technicality…

Chris Cooke • 10 Mar 2025

Arrests made in StubHub supplier fraud case that netted “extraordinary profit”

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StubHub • 3 min read

Arrests made in StubHub supplier fraud case that netted “extraordinary profit”

Earlier this week prosecutors in New York announced the arrest of two people involved in a $600,000 ticketing scam, one of whom exploited their position working for a supplier to StubHub. The ticket resale platform has since been keen to stress that it spotted and shut down the fraud…

Chris Cooke • 07 Mar 2025

LyricFind accuses Musixmatch of using Warner Chappell exclusivity deal to freeze competitors out of the lyrics licensing business

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LyricFind • 4 min read

LyricFind accuses Musixmatch of using Warner Chappell exclusivity deal to freeze competitors out of the lyrics licensing business

LyricFind has filed an antitrust lawsuit against competitor Musixmatch, alleging it created an exclusive deal with Warner Chappell specifically to block LyricFind's potential partnership with Spotify and monopolise the lyrics licensing market…

Chris Cooke • 06 Mar 2025

Search engines like Google make it too easy for consumers to discover pirated content say BBC and Sky

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Google • 3 min read

Search engines like Google make it too easy for consumers to discover pirated content say BBC and Sky

The UK’s Competition & Markets Authority has new powers to force ‘conduct requirements’ on big internet companies as a result of last year’s Digital Markets, Competition And Consumers Act. The BBC and Sky have told the CMA it should use those powers to force Google to do more to combat online piracy…

Chris Cooke • 05 Mar 2025

Drake wins key ruling in attempt to expose Universal Music marketing practices in Kendrick Lamar track dispute

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Drake • 3 min read

Drake wins key ruling in attempt to expose Universal Music marketing practices in Kendrick Lamar track dispute

Drake continues to push his defamation lawsuit against Universal Music, which also alleges that the major employed dubious marketing tactics when promoting Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’. Universal’s attempt to delay the case has failed, and Drake wants to depose one of the major’s marketing execs…

Chris Cooke • 05 Mar 2025

Jay-Z sues ‘Jane Doe’ rape accuser for defamation

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Jay-Z • 5 min read

Jay-Z sues ‘Jane Doe’ rape accuser for defamation

The woman who added Jay-Z as a co-defendant on a Diddy sexual assault lawsuit dismissed her litigation last month. Now Jay-Z is suing her - and her lawyer Tony Buzbee - for defamation. Meanwhile yet more lawsuits have been filed against Diddy, including one by former business partner Kirk Burrowes…

Chris Cooke • 04 Mar 2025

K-pop relies on “mutual trust between agencies and artists” says KMCA as NewJeans v Ador bust-up heads to court

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Ador • 3 min read

K-pop relies on “mutual trust between agencies and artists” says KMCA as NewJeans v Ador bust-up heads to court

The NewJeans v Ador dispute is due to arrive in court this week, putting the spotlight on the K-pop business model. To that end, the big K-pop agencies last week held a press conference defending their artist deals, and insisting that artists must respect those deals for the industry to thrive…

Chris Cooke • 03 Mar 2025

Ultra boss says “nothing changes but the name” as he downplays Sony trademark face-off defeat

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Ultra Music Publishing • 3 min read

Ultra boss says “nothing changes but the name” as he downplays Sony trademark face-off defeat

A judge has ruled on Sony’s legal battle with former business partner Patrick Moxey over his continued use of the Ultra brand. Sony now owns the Ultra label Moxey founded and insisted he can’t use the brand for his publishing company. The judge agreed, meaning Ultra Music Publishing needs a new name…

Chris Cooke • 27 Feb 2025

Universal uses Vevo and unfair international deductions to the “detriment of artists” alleges lawsuit filed by The Cranberries

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The Cranberries • 3 min read

Universal uses Vevo and unfair international deductions to the “detriment of artists” alleges lawsuit filed by The Cranberries

The Cranberries have sued Island Records for allegedly under-paying digital royalties by allowing foreign subsidiaries to take 40% of streaming revenue as it flows through their bank accounts and using Vevo to reduce payments on YouTube streams. The band are suing for more than $5 million in damages…

Chris Cooke • 27 Feb 2025

UK government to offer additional concessions to creative industries as it proceeds with AI copyright exception plan

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Artificial Intelligence • 2 min read

UK government to offer additional concessions to creative industries as it proceeds with AI copyright exception plan

The deadline for a government consultation on copyright and AI passed yesterday. Ministers want to introduce a new copyright exception for AI companies but, sources say, now plan to propose additional concessions for the creative industries after a high profile campaign against the new exception…

Chris Cooke • 26 Feb 2025

Payola back in the spotlight as FCC boss asks about artist deals at upcoming iHeart festival

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iHeart • 3 min read

Payola back in the spotlight as FCC boss asks about artist deals at upcoming iHeart festival

US media regulator the FCC recently warned broadcasters that pressuring artists to play their events for free in return for airplay likely constitutes illegal payola. Now the FCC wants to know what radio giant iHeart is paying artists playing one of its festivals in Austin this May…

Chris Cooke • 26 Feb 2025

1000+ musicians collaborate on silent protest album as deadline arrives for UK government’s big AI consultation

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Artificial Intelligence • 5 min read

1000+ musicians collaborate on silent protest album as deadline arrives for UK government’s big AI consultation

Today is the deadline for the UK government’s consultation on copyright and AI, including the proposed new copyright exception for AI companies. The music industry strongly opposes that proposal and, with that in mind, more than a 1000 artists have together released a silent album in protest…

Chris Cooke • 25 Feb 2025

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