A Beyoncé-inspired Australian dance school receives a letter from their hero. It was a threatening cease-and-desist letter. Looks like Beyoncé is all about inspiring people — as long as she’s getting a cut. Lawyers for…
Category archives: legal
Patreon Is Being Asked to Ban Child Rape Animators — 37,000+ Have Signed the Petition
Where should Patreon draw the line? Patreon is a great platform for creators, especially those with strong, loyal fanbases that want to directly support artists. Musician Jack Conte and developer Sam Yam are the founders of Patreon, and the conce…
Turns Out 50 Cent Was Lying About Earning Millions on Bitcoin
50 Cent admits to flat-out lying about his ‘surprise’ $8 million Bitcoin windfall. 50 Cent: rapper, actor, businessman, investor. And, superb liar. Now, there’s even less reason to believe what you read on the internet.…
The Beatles Launch a Massive, $100 Million Legal War Against Counterfeiters
If successful, the lawsuit would force multiple online retailers to take down unauthorized merchandise featuring The Beatles. Apple Corps Ltd — a business entity founded by the Beatles — has launched a $100 million against fifty online sellers. Naming…
Pass Your GED or Go to Jail, Judge Tells Rapper Tekashi 6IX9INE
There’s a sea of young, burgeoning, American male rappers today but Daniel Hernandez, aka 6ix9ine, stands out. How did 6ix9ine just come up out of the blue and become an instant hit? Just a few months after wowing social media with his rainbow-co…
Evanescence Got Sued for $1.5 Million by their Former Manager. The Judge Decided to Give the Band $1 Million.
A frivolous lawsuit by Evanescence’s former manager took an unexpected turn. Amy Lee and Evanescence have come out on top in a court battle instigated by former manager Andrew Lurie over allegedly unpaid commissions. Lurie, of the now-bankrupt 110 Mana…
After a Long Fight, ‘We Shall Overcome’ Is Officially In the Public Domain
True to the song name, ‘We Shall Overcome’ has overcome strong legal opposition from its original publisher. Two years ago, the We Shall Overcome Foundation filed a lawsuit against Ludlow Music and the Richmond Organization to free the song ‘We Shall O…
Here’s the Entire Facebook Contract for Music Publishers & Songwriters
If you’re an indie publisher or songwriter, you’re probably going to hate Facebook’s music publishing contract. So far, we’ve been covering a string of licensing deals between Facebook and music industry rights owners. That inc…
UCLA School of Law Is Offering Free Music Industry Legal Advice + Contract Help
Nothing’s free in this world — except for complicated music industry legal advice and contract assistance at UCLA’s School of Law. A bad contract can complicate an entire music career. Or, flat-out end it. Entire companies have been destro…
Exclusive: Tennessee Introduces Legislation to Protect all Pre-1972 ‘Oldies’ Recordings
Lawmakers in Tennessee will now vote on whether to extend copyright protection to pre-1972 sound recordings. Federal copyright law in the United States currently protects sound recordings released on or after February 15th, 1972. Unfortunately, only a…