Music industry legal news

Kanye praised Hitler, “attempted to destroy” Donda Academy employee and gave “vulgar lashing” in front of kids, says lawsuit

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Kanye • 2 min read

Kanye praised Hitler, “attempted to destroy” Donda Academy employee and gave “vulgar lashing” in front of kids, says lawsuit

Kanye West has been sued by another former employee who says the rapper “treated the black staff considerably worse than white employees”, made antisemitic comments in front of students at his Donda Academy school, and was sometimes violent in the workplace…

Chris Cooke • 03 Apr 2024

George Carlin's daughter calls for "appropriate safeguards" after settling lawsuit over AI-generated fake comedy special

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George Carlin • 2 min read

George Carlin's daughter calls for "appropriate safeguards" after settling lawsuit over AI-generated fake comedy special

A lawsuit filed by the estate of George Carlin over an AI-generated fake comedy special has been settled. Commenting on the legal battle, Carlin’s daughter said the case should “serve as a warning” and that “appropriate safeguards” are needed to allow people to protect their likeness and voice…

Chris Cooke • 03 Apr 2024

Pharrell Williams accused of “committing fraud in securing trademarks” by Neptunes partner

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The Neptunes • 2 min read

Pharrell Williams accused of “committing fraud in securing trademarks” by Neptunes partner

Musical collaborators Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo are involved in a legal dispute over the the rights in the name they collaborate under - The Neptunes - after a company owned by Williams registered trademarks connected to the brand without consulting Hugo…

Chris Cooke • 02 Apr 2024

Napster dispute with British photographer puts the spotlight on the music industry’s artwork deals

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Napster • 2 min read

Napster dispute with British photographer puts the spotlight on the music industry’s artwork deals

A legal dispute between Napster and a British photographer over a photo of reggae artist Sugar Minott was in court last week. It raises some interesting questions about the licences record labels secure around artwork images and what they allow digital platforms to do with those photos…

Chris Cooke • 02 Apr 2024

TikTok spends more than $2 million on ad campaign against the proposed sell-or-be-banned law

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TikTok • 2 min read

TikTok spends more than $2 million on ad campaign against the proposed sell-or-be-banned law

TikTok last week began airing ads in the US that urge the public to tell their Senators to oppose a bill that would force owner ByteDance to sell the app or face a ban. The social media firm urges voters to consider the impact of a ban on small business owners, as well as American teachers and moms…

Chris Cooke • 02 Apr 2024

Universal submits scathing response to allegations made against it in Diddy lawsuit

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Universal Music • 2 min read

Universal submits scathing response to allegations made against it in Diddy lawsuit

Universal Music and its CEO Lucian Grainge were named as co-defendants in a recent lawsuit targeting Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs. But the allegations made against the music company and its boss were so “knowingly false”, they should never have been included in the lawsuit, a new legal filing states…

Chris Cooke • 01 Apr 2024

Travis Scott seeks to be removed from Astroworld lawsuits, as lawyers query if performers should have crowd management training

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Travis Scott • 3 min read

Travis Scott seeks to be removed from Astroworld lawsuits, as lawyers query if performers should have crowd management training

More legal filings have been made in the Astroworld litigation as the first lawsuits head to trial in May. Travis Scott and his touring company XX Global have requested to be removed as a defendants because they were not responsible for event safety…

Chris Cooke • 28 Mar 2024

Rapper ordered to pay $800,000 to Sony over TikTok hit with unlicensed sample

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Sony Music • 4 min read

Rapper ordered to pay $800,000 to Sony over TikTok hit with unlicensed sample

A US court has ordered rapper Trefuego to pay Sony Music over $800,000 in damages after he used an uncleared sample in a track that went viral on TikTok. However, the judge declined to issue an injunction banning future distribution of the track…

Chris Cooke • 28 Mar 2024

Sean Combs’ lawyer slams "unprecedented ambush" following Monday’s raids

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Diddy • 3 min read

Sean Combs’ lawyer slams "unprecedented ambush" following Monday’s raids

Following the high profile raids on properties owned by Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, a lawyer for the musician has issued a statement criticising the tactics employed by US Homeland Security and insisting his client is “innocent and will continue to fight every single day to clear his name"…

Chris Cooke • 27 Mar 2024

Sean Combs properties raided in federal sex trafficking investigation

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Diddy • 3 min read

Sean Combs properties raided in federal sex trafficking investigation

US Homeland Security yesterday raided two properties owned by Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, reportedly as part of an investigation in relation to allegations of sex trafficking and sexual assault. The most recent civil lawsuit against Combs, filed by a former collaborator, has also been updated…

Chris Cooke • 26 Mar 2024

Nirvana ‘smiley face’ copyright dispute back in court

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Nirvana • 2 min read

Nirvana ‘smiley face’ copyright dispute back in court

A copyright dispute between Nirvana and fashion designer Marc Jacobs over a 2018 smiley face t-shirt based on the band’s merchandise was back in court yesterday. The current focus is a claim by former Geffen art director Robert Fisher that he owns the copyright in the original smiley face…

Chris Cooke • 26 Mar 2024

US law firm announces investigation into Live Nation prompted by investor lawsuit

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Live Nation • 2 min read

US law firm announces investigation into Live Nation prompted by investor lawsuit

Last month a US court declined to dismiss a lawsuit filed by a Live Nation investor in relation to the allegations of anticompetitive conduct against the live giant. Now a law firm has announced its own investigation into whether Live Nation bosses breached their fiduciary duties to its shareholders…

Chris Cooke • 26 Mar 2024

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