MLC - CMU | the music business explained

MLC asks judge to reconsider Spotify ruling, otherwise the “injustice will be manifest”

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Spotify • 2 min read

MLC asks judge to reconsider Spotify ruling, otherwise the “injustice will be manifest”

Last month a US judge dismissed the lawsuit filed by The MLC against Spotify over its decision to reclassify its premium subscription product as a music + audiobooks bundle, reducing what it has to pay to songwriters and publishers. The MLC now wants the judge to reconsider that ruling…

Chris Cooke • 14 Feb 2025

Judge throws out MLC’s audiobooks bundle lawsuit, says Spotify can keep cutting songwriter royalties through its “cynical trick”

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MLC • 5 min read

Judge throws out MLC’s audiobooks bundle lawsuit, says Spotify can keep cutting songwriter royalties through its “cynical trick”

The MLC’s lawsuit targeting Spotify’s “cynical trick” to reduce royalties to songwriters through its US-subscriber audiobooks bundle has been thrown out by the court, with the judge saying there is “no set of facts” that the collecting society could use to support its position…

Sam Taylor • 30 Jan 2025

The MLC’s lawsuit is “nonsensical”, “meritless and wasteful” and “denigrates” authors and the entire audiobooks industry, says Spotify’s latest filing in bundling dispute

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Spotify • 3 min read

The MLC’s lawsuit is “nonsensical”, “meritless and wasteful” and “denigrates” authors and the entire audiobooks industry, says Spotify’s latest filing in bundling dispute

Spotify has asked a US court to dismiss the lawsuit filed against it by The MLC as part of the big bundling discount dispute. By claiming that the audiobooks access that is now part of Spotify Premium doesn’t have more than token value, the MLC is disrespecting book authors, Spotify argues…

Chris Cooke • 29 Aug 2024

Eight Mile Style’s rights had “fallen into confusion” says judge in damning dismissal of Eminem publisher’s lawsuit

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Eminem • 4 min read

Eight Mile Style’s rights had “fallen into confusion” says judge in damning dismissal of Eminem publisher’s lawsuit

In 2019, Eminem’s publisher sued Spotify for failing to properly license the rapper’s songs. A court has now dismissed the lawsuit, saying that although Spotify’s management of song royalties was “seriously flawed”, the publisher should have done more to rectify the issues before going legal…

Chris Cooke • 16 Aug 2024

Subscribers didn’t ask for audiobooks says MLC as it hits back at Spotify

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MLC • 2 min read

Subscribers didn’t ask for audiobooks says MLC as it hits back at Spotify

The bundling battle between Spotify and US collecting society the MLC continues. In a new letter to the court where it has sued the streaming service, the MLC says that Spotify has failed to demonstrate that audiobook access has any value to its premium subscribers…

Chris Cooke • 30 Jul 2024

It’s “common sense” that audiobooks have “more than token value” says Spotify in MLC lawsuit response letter

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Spotify • 4 min read

It’s “common sense” that audiobooks have “more than token value” says Spotify in MLC lawsuit response letter

Spotify has sent a letter to the court where it has been sued by the MLC in the ongoing dispute over its decision to classify its premium subscription as a music + audiobooks bundle. That centres on whether audiobook access has “more than token value”. Spotify argues that common sense says it does…

Chris Cooke • 24 Jul 2024

The MLC’s billion dollar black box in the spotlight in US Copyright Office review

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MLC • 6 min read

The MLC’s billion dollar black box in the spotlight in US Copyright Office review

US collecting society The MLC will soon be sitting on a billion dollar black box, say songwriters who have made submissions to a Copyright Office review. Is the society doing enough to reduce the size of the black box and to ensure it is transparent about what will happen to that money?…

Chris Cooke • 05 Jun 2024

Change MLC dispute procedure so we don’t pay to sue ourselves, say streaming services

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MLC • 5 min read

Change MLC dispute procedure so we don’t pay to sue ourselves, say streaming services

The streaming services have told the US Copyright Office that it should put in place new rules for how collecting society The MLC deals with disputes over the compulsory licence it administers. Under the current system, services can end up paying for lawsuits in which they are the defendants…

Chris Cooke • 04 Jun 2024

Setlist Podcast: Music publishers go to war with Spotify

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Setlist • 4 min read

Setlist Podcast: Music publishers go to war with Spotify

The dispute over Spotify's audiobook bundle goes legal, media companies hit out at BBC's podcast adverts plan…

Andy Malt & Chris Cooke • 17 May 2024

The MLC is suing Spotify over audiobook bundling

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Spotify • 4 min read

The MLC is suing Spotify over audiobook bundling

The audiobooks bundling dispute between the US music industry and Spotify has gone legal. This is about how the streaming service is classifying its main premium subscription product - which now includes audiobooks - as a bundle, which lets it reduce royalty payments to publishers and songwriters…

Chris Cooke • 17 May 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

Setlist Podcast: When arts funding and politics collide

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Setlist • 4 min read

Setlist Podcast: When arts funding and politics collide

Kneecap threaten to sue the British government for blocking funding to expand their international career, and MLC goes legal over mechanical royalties on its free service…

Andy Malt & Chris Cooke • 16 Feb 2024