Universal Music Group now faces a $100 million lawsuit from a group that includes the estates of Tom Petty and Tupac Shakur, surviving members of Soundgarden, Hole, and Steve Earle, among others. The litigation stems from a recent New York Times Magazi…
Category archives: legal
‘Red-Handed’ Genius Lyrics Found On More LyricFind Partner Sites
Earlier this week, The Wall Street Journal published an explosive report about stolen lyrics and accusations of theft. Genius claimed it had over 100 examples of its lyrics being copied wholesale on Google’s search results. Google addressed the issue b…
Vivendi CEO: Universal Music’s 2008 Fire Crisis Is “Just Noise”
As legal action stemming from the 2008 Universal Studios Fire awaits, Universal Music Group’s PR counter-offensive continues. What really got torched in the blaze of ’08? According to the New York Times and its sources, roughly 500,000 priceless record…
Google Responds to Accusations of Plagiarizing Lyrics — And Blames It All on LyricFind
After Google partner Lyricfind admitted to ‘minuscule’ levels of plagiarism, Google is now weighing in. Google has responded to accusations made by Genius, a well-known resource for viewing and commenting on the lyrics of popular songs. Genius long sus…
Pandora Faces Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Over Unlicensed Lyrics from Tom Petty, The Doors, Others
Pandora is the subject of a copyright infringement lawsuit regarding lyrics from a range of artists and publishers, including Tom Petty, The Beach Boys, The Doors, and others. Wixen, a music publisher that represents The Beach Boys, Tom Petty, The Door…
UMG Receives First Legal Warning to Disclose Its 2008 Fire Losses; Chairman Lucian Grainge Breaks His Silence
What exactly was lost, and why isn’t UMG disclosing it? The crisis over UMG’s catastrophic loss of recording masters in 2008 is now entering a new phase. Just this morning, LA-based law firm King, Holmes, Paterno & Soriano, LLP issued a written …
Google Partner LyricFind Admits Its Database Contains Lyrics Lifted from Genius — But the Amounts Are ‘Miniscule’
After Google was caught “Red-Handed” with Genius lyrics in its search results, partner LyricFind is downplaying the issue — and potentially insulating itself from legal action. The statement dismisses Genius’ complaints as without merit. But important…
Aretha Franklin’s Lawyers Say Kecalf Franklin Doesn’t Have the “Ability, Skill, and Knowledge” to Serve as Estate Administrator
Last summer, the world lost a music legend – Aretha Franklin. The famous soul and gospel singer had succumbed to complications caused by pancreatic cancer. She was 76. In addition to leaving behind an incredible music catalog, she also left behind mul…
UMG Secured a Massive Settlement from NBCUniversal After the 2008 Fire — But Shared Nothing Back With Artists
The crisis surrounding UMG’s handling of the Universal Studios Fire of 2008 is worsening with news of a massive settlement. As Universal Music Group faces the specter of dozens of lawsuits stemming from its mishandling of the 2008 Universal Studios fir…
The RIAA Successfully Takes Down Two More Pirate Sites — Mixstep and NoFile
In its ongoing war against music pirate websites, the RIAA has scored major victories. Over the past several weeks, the RIAA has managed to successfully take down numerous piracy websites. First, in mid-March, the major music industry organization shut…