Music industry legal news

Amazon AI employee claims she was told to breach copyright rules because “everyone else is doing it”

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Amazon • 2 min read

Amazon AI employee claims she was told to breach copyright rules because “everyone else is doing it”

An AI researcher who worked for Amazon is suing the company over allegations of harassment and unlawful dismissal - and in her lawsuit she claims that she was told it was fine to breach copyright rules when developing AI models in order to keep up with competitors…

Chris Cooke • 23 Apr 2024

TikTok battling regulators and lawmakers in both EU and US

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TikTok • 3 min read

TikTok battling regulators and lawmakers in both EU and US

TikTok is facing new legal battles in both the EU and the US. EU officials say TikTok may have breached the Digital Services Act by launching TikTok Lite and its rewards programme without the required risk assessment. In the US, TikTok’s lawyers are prepping to fight a proposed ban in the courts…

Chris Cooke • 23 Apr 2024

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Pharrell Williams • 1 min read

Pink seeks to stop Pharrell from trademarking the brand P.INC

Just weeks after it emerged that Pharrell Williams was involved in a trademark dispute with his long-time musical collaborator Chad Hugo, we discover that Pink is also seeking to stop another trademark registration instigated by Williams. She objects to him trademarking the brand P.INC…

Chris Cooke • 22 Apr 2024

TikTok ban added to aid bill in US House Of Representatives, which could speed up approval in the Senate

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TikTok • 3 min read

TikTok ban added to aid bill in US House Of Representatives, which could speed up approval in the Senate

The TikTok-targeting sell-or-be-banned law that has already been passed by the US House Of Representatives is now also included in a new bill to be considered by the House alongside proposed aid for Ukraine and Israel. It is seen as a move to get the TikTok ban discussed in US Senate quicker.…

Chris Cooke • 18 Apr 2024

MLC lawsuit is “wild overreach” says Pandora, accusing US mechanicals society of “legal frolics”

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Pandora • 3 min read

MLC lawsuit is “wild overreach” says Pandora, accusing US mechanicals society of “legal frolics”

Pandora has responded to a lawsuit filed by collecting society MLC in a dispute over whether or not the streaming platform’s personalised radio service should be classified as interactive or non-interactive. Pandora says not only is the MLC’s position on this wrong, it shouldn’t even have a position…

Chris Cooke • 17 Apr 2024

Russell Simmons says 1997 agreement bars new sexual assault lawsuit

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Russell Simmons • 2 min read

Russell Simmons says 1997 agreement bars new sexual assault lawsuit

A lawyer for Russell Simmons has argued that a former Def Jam employee who accused him of sexual assault cannot sue him due to a 1997 settlement. His accuser’s legal rep said that they were not aware of any such agreement…

Chris Cooke • 17 Apr 2024

Astroworld lawyers argue “this event was Travis Scott’s festival” as judge considers musician’s motion for dismissal

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Astroworld • 2 min read

Astroworld lawyers argue “this event was Travis Scott’s festival” as judge considers musician’s motion for dismissal

The judge overseeing the Astroworld litigation yesterday considered more motions for dismissal from defendants that want to be removed from the lawsuits that were filed in the wake of the crowd surge tragedy at the festival’s 2021 edition. That includes festival founder and headliner Travis Scott…

Chris Cooke • 16 Apr 2024

Apple says it is compliant with App Store injunction, judge should reject Epic's latest objections

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Apple • 2 min read

Apple says it is compliant with App Store injunction, judge should reject Epic's latest objections

The US legal battle led by Epic Games over Apple’s App Store rules continues. Epic argues that Apple has failed to properly comply with a court order that forced it to change its rules around sign-posting alternative payment options within an app. In a new filing, Apple denies that claim…

Chris Cooke • 16 Apr 2024

Universal seeks dismissal from another Diddy lawsuit

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Universal Music • 2 min read

Universal seeks dismissal from another Diddy lawsuit

A lawsuit filed under New York’s Adult Survivors Act accusing Diddy of sexual assault named Universal Music as a defendant. In a new filing, the major disputes that it had the necessary connection to Diddy to be liable, and also argues that the lawsuit doesn’t even qualify under the ASA…

Chris Cooke • 15 Apr 2024

Live Nation sued over shooting at 2023 Beyond Wonderland festival

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Live Nation • 1 min read

Live Nation sued over shooting at 2023 Beyond Wonderland festival

A lawsuit has been filed in relation to a shooting that occurred at the US music festival Beyond Wonderland last summer. Families of two festival-goers who were killed in the shooting incident accuse promoters Live Nation and Insomniac of having lax security protocols at the festival…

Chris Cooke • 12 Apr 2024

Apple and Travis Scott companies remain as defendants in Astroworld litigation

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Astroworld • 3 min read

Apple and Travis Scott companies remain as defendants in Astroworld litigation

A number of companies have been removed as defendants on the Astroworld litigation, including Sony Music's Epic Records. However, Apple, two businesses owned by Astroworld founder Travis Scott and a number of security companies will remain as defendants as the first cases get to trial next month…

Chris Cooke • 11 Apr 2024

Hollywood movie studios aim to put web-blocking back on the agenda in US Congress

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Piracy • 3 min read

Hollywood movie studios aim to put web-blocking back on the agenda in US Congress

Web-blocking is now the music industry’s anti-piracy tactic of choice in countries where it is available. However, web-blocking is still not an option in the US, where attempts to add it to copyright law in 2012 resulted in a major backlash. Hollywood thinks it is time for Congress to reconsider…

Chris Cooke • 11 Apr 2024

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