Tookie Williams execution goes ahead
Former gang leader Stanley 'Tookie' Williams was executed by lethal injection in California despite high-profile pleas for clemency, including from Snoop Dogg.…
Music industry legal news coverage
Our round up of legal battles, courtroom drama, copyright disputes and everything else.
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Young Buck pleads no contest to Vibe fracas charge
Rapper Young Buck has pleaded no contest to a reduced assault charge over a stabbing at the 2004 Vibe Awards, receiving probation and community service.…
RIAA score win in P2P fight
The US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit has rejected a file sharer's 'intent to purchase' defence, fining Cecilia Gonzalez $22,500 in an RIAA case.…
US rep's Tupac bill
Georgia congresswoman Cynthia McKinney has introduced a bill calling for public disclosure of government records on Tupac Shakur, modelled on the JFK records act.…
UK publisher targets Austrian lyric search site
Austrian lyric search engine pearLyrics has closed after a cease and desist letter from Warner Chappell, prompting debate over whether mainstream search engines face similar risks.…
Jay-Z sued by wrestler over hand gesture
Former wrestler Diamond Dallas Page is suing Jay-Z, claiming the rapper's use of a diamond hand gesture on a 2002 album cover violates his copyright.…
African country bans unfaithful songs
The Central African Republic has told its broadcasters to stop playing songs that might encourage men to leave their wives, Communications Minister Fidele Ngoundgika confirmed.…
Competition Commission to investigate HMV book acquisition
The Office Of Fair Trading has referred HMV's proposed takeover of Ottakar to the Competition Commission over fears it would dominate book retail.…
OfCom and ITV chief contribute to BBC Charter debate
Ofcom wants the BBC charter to include cross-promotion rules, while ITV's Charles Allen calls the BBC's proposed licence fee increase ridiculous.…
Copyright clarification
CMU corrects its earlier claims on copyright terms, noting US recorded music copyright runs for 95 years and UK publishing copyright lasts 70 years after the songwriter's death.…
Kazaa closes down in Australia
Sharman Networks has closed access to Kazaa in Australia, rather than introducing the key word filtering the Federal Court ordered, prompting criticism from ARIA's Stephen Peach.…
Williams wins libel damages over gay sex claims
Robbie Williams has won substantial libel damages from The People, Star and Hot Stars magazines over 2004 stories claiming he had secret homosexual encounters, which the publishers now accept were untrue.…