The RIAA, currently embroiled in an increasingly-bitter legal fight with Russian stream-rippers FLVTO.biz and 2conv.com, has just obtained a new subpoena. A Columbia federal court has granted the RIAA the authority to force Cloudflare to hand over clie…
Category archives: legal
Universal Music Files Motion to Dismiss Copyright Act Termination Rights Lawsuit
Under the Copyright Act, authors have the option to terminate a grant following a 35-year wait, allowing them to claim ownership over their works. Universal Music Group (UMG) doesn’t want that to happen. So, to avoid this problem, UMG has filed a moti…
HBO Calls the Jackson Estate’s $100 Million Lawsuit a ‘Publicity Campaign’
Last February, the Michael Jackson Estate made good on its promise and filed a $100 million civil lawsuit against HBO. The cable network’s decision to air the controversial Leaving Neverland documentary had apparently violated a non-disparagement agree…
Federal Judge Dismisses Jerry Lee Lewis’ Lawsuit Against His Daughter
A federal judge has struck down claims by Jerry Lewis alleging that his daughter had stolen money from him. In a decision signed April 25th, U.S. District Judge Neal Biggers ruled that the majority of the claims were barred because of a three-year stat…
Austin Jones Gets 10 Years In Prison for Soliciting Nude Pictures from Teenagers
A federal court in Chicago sentenced Austin Jones to ten years in prison for convincing underage girls to send him explicit photos and videos. Jones was very popular on YouTube at the time of the offense, and many of his followers were teenagers. Josep…
Congress Introduces Bi-Partisan Bill to Create Small Claims Copyright Board
Lawmakers in Congress have introduced a new bill meant to help copyright owners. Dubbed the Copyright Enforcement in Small-Claims Enforcement, or the Case Act, the proposed legislation aims to set up the Copyrights Enforcement Board. If passed, the bip…
Much to the RIAA and MPAA’s Dismay, Federal Judge Once Again Postpones Megaupload Lawsuit
Yesterday, the RIAA and the MPAA received bad news in a federal courtroom. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia has granted Megaupload yet another request to put the case on hold. Federal authorities in New Zealand and the U.S. …
Ahead of Its US Tour, BTS Is Already Suing ‘John Doe’ Counterfeiters
Ahead of BTS’ upcoming tour in the U.S., Big Hit Entertainment has called for a crackdown on bootleggers. Filed at the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Big Hit Entertainment, the company behind superstar K-Pop boy band BTS, h…
Peloton Accuses Sony/ATV, Warner/Chappell, UMPG of Illegal Price-Fixing & Collusion
Looks like major music publishers are in for a serious legal workout. Just weeks after being accused of massive copyright infringement, fitness-focused Peloton is clapping back against major music publishers Sony/ATV, Warner/Chappell, and Universal Mus…
Universal Music’s Trademark Application for “As Heard On TV” Denied by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office
The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board has denied Universal Music Group’s application to register “As Heard On TV” as a trademark. The board ruled that the phrase merely describes a service that offers TV-friendly music. The decision was handed down on…