Yesterday, Spotify issued a statement clarifying why it appealed the Copyright Royalty Board’s songwriter royalty increase. That prompted a point-by-point, furious response from the president of the National Music Publishers’ Association. The retort w…
Category archives: Copyright
LMFAO Reaches Full Settlement over ‘Party Rock Anthem’
Following a lengthy discussion, and to avoid a jury trial over ‘Hustlin,’ LMFAO has chosen to settle out-of-court. According to Rick Ross, LMFAO stole his 2006 song, ‘Hustlin.’ Back in 2013, he sued the rap duo over their song, ‘Party Rock Anthem.’ Ro…
Spotify Says They’re ‘Not Suing Songwriters’ — Here’s Their Full Statement to the Music Industry
Spotify is now responding to accusations of ‘suing songwriters’ and ‘declaring war’ against content creators. Last week, Spotify — along with Amazon, Google, and Pandora — started the process of appealing a Copyright Royalty Board ruling that would ult…
From Azoff To Slipknot, Music Biz Condemns Spotify, Google Attack On Songwriter Rates Increase
Late last week Spotify, Pandora, Google and Amazon announced they were teaming appeal the U.S. Copyright Royalty Board ruling increasing streaming payouts to songwriters by 44%. The four will file a action with the D.C. Court of Appeals. Now, artists and the industry are reacting, condemning the tech giants and…
This Week In Music Commentary
This week, we hear from music commentators on why 2018 was such a good year for Spotify, plus songwriters and publishers weighed in on ‘tech bullies’ appeal against royalty increases and the US Supreme Court’s claim that songwriters can’t sue without a copyright certificate. 2018 Was A Good Year To…
EMI Music Publishing Declares War Against Kanye West — Files Countersuit for Breach of Contract
Kanye West has launched a legal battle on two fronts against EMI Music Publishing and Universal Music Group in a spat over rights to his publishing catalog. But EMI is now aggressively fighting back. West shared on Twitter that he was attempting to bu…
EMI Music Publishing Declares War Against Kanye West — Files Countersuit for Breach of Contract
Kanye West has launched a legal battle on two fronts against EMI Music Publishing and Universal Music Group in a spat over rights to his publishing catalog. But EMI is now aggressively fighting back. West shared on Twitter that he was attempting to bu…
The Supreme Court’s Ruling on Copyrights Leads to a Sudden Halt of Fortnite-Related Lawsuits Against Epic Games
Will artists and gamers now stop suing Epic Games over Fortnite dance moves they don’t own the rights to? It’s no secret Epic Games’ popular video game, Fortnite, remains immensely popular around the world. Several weeks ago, for example, Marshmello ma…
Songwriters Can’t Sue Without Copyright Certificate says U.S. Supreme Court, RIAA Cries Foul
In a rare unanimous decision, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that applying for a copyright is not enough to so sue someone for copyright infringement. It currently can take months to receive the formal certificate of registration. In the case between Fourth Estate Public Benefit Corporation and Wall-Street.com, the…
U.S. Supreme Court Votes Unanimously: If a Copyright Registration Isn’t Finalized, You Can’t Sue
A long-running dispute over copyright litigation has now been settled. When exactly can a copyright lawsuit begin? Previously, U.S. Circuit Courts were offering conflicting guidance on the matter. In fact, a total of four different decisions made it u…