Music industry legal news

Trademark dispute over Earth, Wind & Fire tribute shows back in court

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Earth, Wind & Fire • 2 min read

Trademark dispute over Earth, Wind & Fire tribute shows back in court

A company owned by the family of Earth, Wind & Fire founder Maurice White wants summary judgement in its trademark legal battle with the promoters of tribute shows that involve musicians who previously performed with the band. It’s alleged that the marketing of the shows implies official status…

Chris Cooke • 29 Feb 2024

Donna Summer estate sues Kanye West over “shameless” uncleared sample

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Donna Summer • 2 min read

Donna Summer estate sues Kanye West over “shameless” uncleared sample

Kanye West has been sued over an uncleared sample on his album with Ty Dolla $ign. The Donna Summer estate says that it declined a request to interpolate ‘I Feel Love’ into a 'Vultures 1' track, concerned about associating Summer with the controversial rapper, but West went ahead and did it anyway…

Chris Cooke • 28 Feb 2024

Supertramp songwriter defeats former bandmates in song royalty dispute

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Supertramp • 2 min read

Supertramp songwriter defeats former bandmates in song royalty dispute

A judgement has been made in the legal battle over Supertramp song royalties. The band’s songwriting members agreed to share song royalties with their other bandmates in a 1970s agreement, but then stopped doing so in 2018. The court has ruled that they were entitled to end that agreement…

Chris Cooke • 28 Feb 2024

Sony Music settles big termination rights test case

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Sony Music • 2 min read

Sony Music settles big termination rights test case

Another lawsuit aiming to test whether the US termination right can be applied to record contracts has been settled. A group of musicians including The New York Dolls’ David Johansen agreed to drop his case against Sony Music after it was taken to arbitration…

Chris Cooke • 27 Feb 2024

Diddy producer alleges UMG boss Lucian Grainge “knew or should have known” about spiked drinks in new sexual assault lawsuit

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Diddy • 3 min read

Diddy producer alleges UMG boss Lucian Grainge “knew or should have known” about spiked drinks in new sexual assault lawsuit

In the latest sexual assault lawsuit filed against Diddy, producer Rodney ‘Lil Rod’ Jones Jr claims that he was subject to and witnessed assault and harassment while working on the musician and mogul’s last album. He also says that Universal and its boss Lucian Grainge are complicit…

Chris Cooke • 27 Feb 2024

MU says blocking of Kneecap funding may breach Human Rights Act

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Kneecap • 2 min read

MU says blocking of Kneecap funding may breach Human Rights Act

Earlier this month UK Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch blocked MEGS funding for Belfast hip hop group Kneecap because of the politics of their music. In a new letter to the minister, Musicians’ Union General Secretary Noami Pohl says that intervention may breach the Human Rights Act…

Chris Cooke • 26 Feb 2024

Spotify vs Apple name-calling kicks off again after EU mega-fine rumours

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Apple • 2 min read

Spotify vs Apple name-calling kicks off again after EU mega-fine rumours

Apple issued a statement last week following rumours it is facing a €500 million fine as a result of an EU investigation prompted by a complaint made by Spotify. It claims that Spotify just wants a free ride, but Spotify issued its own statement arguing it is actually seeking a level playing field…

Chris Cooke • 26 Feb 2024

Internet Archive’s crackle based ‘fair use’ defence in copyright case is perverted, say labels

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Internet Archive • 2 min read

Internet Archive’s crackle based ‘fair use’ defence in copyright case is perverted, say labels

The Internet Archive recently filed a motion to dismiss the copyright lawsuit filed against it by the record industry over its Great 78 Project. The record labels have now responded, with a fun debate over whether crackles in a recording makes copying it fair use on historical preservation grounds…

Chris Cooke • 23 Feb 2024

Ticketmaster incentivised TQ Tickets' touting operation, says former employee in fraud trial

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Ticketmaster • 3 min read

Ticketmaster incentivised TQ Tickets' touting operation, says former employee in fraud trial

The fraud trial of former employees at ticket touting company TQ Tickets continues, with one defendant insisting that Ticketmaster knew about the firm’s operations, because they were using resale platforms then owned by the Live Nation ticketing company…

Chris Cooke • 23 Feb 2024

R Kelly victim’s $4 million judgement overturned on procedural grounds

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R Kelly • 2 min read

R Kelly victim’s $4 million judgement overturned on procedural grounds

A court ruling ordering R Kelly to pay $4 million in damages to a woman who accused him of sexual abuse has been overturned in Illinois. Appeal court judges said that procedural rules had not been properly followed when Kelly’s legal team stood down from the case…

Chris Cooke • 22 Feb 2024

Music industry’s billion dollar damages win in Cox case overturned

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Cox Communications • 2 min read

Music industry’s billion dollar damages win in Cox case overturned

In 2019 the music industry won a billion dollars in damages in a copyright lawsuit against internet company Cox Communications - but that ruling has now been overturned on appeal, even though appeal judges confirmed that the ISP is liable for copyright infringement…

Chris Cooke • 21 Feb 2024

Viagogo to pay out £90,000 compensation in Swiss consumer rights settlement

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Viagogo • 2 min read

Viagogo to pay out £90,000 compensation in Swiss consumer rights settlement

After six years of legal work by Swiss consumer rights organisation FRC, Viagogo has committed to make changes to its website in the country and to pay compensation to 807 ticket buyers who formally complained about the secondary ticketing company…

Chris Cooke • 21 Feb 2024

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