Prince’s estate filed a federal lawsuit against producer Ian Boxill just a day after Prince’s song called ‘Deliverance’ dropped. The estate has now requested that the judge order Boxill to hand over $3,960,287.65 as damages for the unauthorized release…
Category archives: legal
Despite SAG-AFTRA’s Opposition, Federal Judge Won’t Dismiss Class Action Lawsuit
Despite suffering a setback in his case, a federal judge has allowed Kevin Risto’s key claim against SAG-AFTRA to proceed. Last Monday, SAG-AFTRA filed a motion to dismiss an important class-action lawsuit. According to the powerful performers union, i…
Google Says They’re Passing the Industry’s Anti-Piracy Tests ‘With Flying Colors’
Google’s doing a bang-up job fighting piracy — according to their own recent self-assessment. The music and broader entertainment industries have been in a decade-plus battle with Google over infringing content. Now, governments are stepping up their …
SAG-AFTRA Is Trying to Dismiss a Songwriter Lawsuit Dealing with a Questionable 3% Fee
Should performers’ unions have the right to apply for a 3% fee to non-member songwriters and producers just to compensate themselves for their work? Late last June, Kevin Risto, an award-winning songwriter and record producer, filed a class-action laws…
Investors Claim T.I. Scammed Them Out of Millions With a Worthless Cyptocurrency
T.I.-backed FLiK had an admirable mission. Only problem: it’s now worthless, and investors want their millions back. We’ve documented a few rapper-backed cypto-collapses over the past year, including Ghostface Killah’s now-worthless CREAM currency. 5…
Remasters Aren’t Brand-New Copyrights, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Reaffirms
Digital remasters involve a lot of painstaking work by dedicated sound engineers. But they don’t create a brand-new copyright, according to a decision reaffirmed by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals this week. This started out as a novel argument by …
Federal Judge Denies’ Cox’s Request for Venue Change in Upcoming Battle Against the Music Industry
Cox Communications may have shot itself in the foot settling with BMG. Several months ago, a group of major record labels – led by Sony Music – filed a piracy liability lawsuit against Cox Communications. Echoing BMG’s arguments, the labels argue the A…
Why Big-Name Investors Like Mark Cuban Are Disrupting the Legal Profession
It’s an exciting time for legaltech, although investment lags behind that in other tech startups.
The Supreme Court Refuses a Case Challenging the DMCA ‘Safe Harbor’
Despite glaring issues with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), the Supreme Court has declined a case challenging the 90s-era rule. The U.S. Supreme Court declines a lot of cases and challenges, often with little explanation. The reject list …
Coachella Faces Another Legal Fight Over Its ‘Radius Clause’
Should Coachella have the right to force artists into highly restrictive ‘radius clauses’? Last April, Soul’d Productions, a Portland-based music festival promoter, filed an antitrust lawsuit against Coachella and AEG/Goldenvoice. The promoter claimed …