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The Legal Beat: WIXEN SUES META FOR COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT AND DEFAMATION
On January 23, 2026, Wixen Music Publishing sued social media company, Meta in the United States District Court for the Central District of California. Wixen alleges that Meta committed copyright ... -
Legal Beat: Limp Bizkit Refiles Case Against UMG In State Court
On March 25, 2025, Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit and his label, Flawless Records (Flawless), filed a new lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG) in California state court in Los ... -
LEGAL BEAT: PAUL MCCARTNEY OPPOSES PROPOSAL TO CHANGE U.K. COPYRIGHT LAW ON A.I.
Paul McCartney is concerned Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) could steal from artists if the U.K. government approves changes to its copyright law. A new proposal would permit A.I. developers to use ... -
Legal Beat: Chris Brown Sues Warner Bros. $500 Million for Defamation
On January 28, 2025, recording artist Chris Brown filed a lawsuit in California state court alleging that a Warner Bros. documentary, entitled A History of Violence, defamed him. Brown sued ... -
The Legal Beat: Congress Considers New A.I. Bill
On January 10, 2024, a group of bipartisan members of the U.S. House of Representatives announced they are considering a new Artificial Intelligence (“A.I.”) bill that will address this issue ... -
The Legal Beat: Blackpink Members Go Solo
South Korean K-pop super-group Blackpink announced that they were re-signing with their record label as a group, but not as solo artists. Blackpink members Jennie, Jisoo, Rose, and Lisa will ... -
The Legal Beat: Should I Arbitrate My Dispute?
Should you try to arbitrate your music industry dispute? The short answer is: it depends. If you have a written contract that provides that any dispute will be resolved by ... -
Legal Beat: Mötley Crüe Guitarist Sues Band
Mötley Crüe guitarist Mick Mars has sued the band, claiming he was thrown out for failing to tour because of health problems. He also claims he has been denied future ... -
Legal Beat: Criminal Charges Will Not Be Filed Against Rapper Travis Scott For Astroworld Tragedy
In 2018, rapper Travis Scott founded the AstroWorld Music festival outside NRG Park in Houston, TX. Scott was also the headliner. On November 5, 2021 the festival had 50,000 people ... -
Legal Beat: Is YouTube Concert Clip 'Critical Evidence' in Ed Sheeran Copyright Case?
There is an upcoming trial in a case concerning whether or not Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking out Loud” hit song infringes on Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get it On” masterpiece. An issue ... -
The Legal Beat: Fogerty Gains Control of Creedence Clearwater Revival
After decades of fighting, John Fogerty has finally purchased control over Creedence Clearwater Revival (“CCR”) compositions. This is contrary to the recent trend of major recording artists (such as Bob ... -
The Legal Beat: Warner Records Exec Mo Ostin, Remembered
The music industry has lost a legend. On August 1, 2022, Mo Ostin passed away. He was best known as the artist-friendly president of Warner Brother Records. He was appreciated ... -
The Legal Beat: Megan Thee Stallion Sues Her Record Label
On February 18, 2022 rapper Megan thee Stallion sued her old independent record label, 1501 Certified Entertainment, contending that it mischaracterized her latest album as a mixtape rather than an ... -
The Legal Beat: Cardi B Wins Defamation Lawsuit
Grammy Award winning rapper Cardi B (legal name: Belcalis Marlenis Almanzar) won over $4 million in a defamation case she filed (in March of 2017) against YouTuber Tasha K (legal ... -
The Legal Beat: JUDGE REFUSES SUMMARY JUDGMENT IN COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT CASE AGAINST TAYLOR SWIFT
Taylor Swift (and other defendants) were sued in 2017 for copyright infringement in Federal District Court in California for allegedly copying lyrics for her 2014 hit song “Shake it Off.” ... -
The Legal Beat: The Astroworld Festival Disaster
As reported extensively by the press, on Nov. 5, 2021 the Astroworld festival (in Houston, TX) got underway. The headliner was rapper Travis Scott who founded the festival in 2018. ... -
The Legal Beat: Cher Sues Sonny's Widow
Famed recording artist and actress Cher has filed a lawsuit in federal court in Los Angeles for declaratory relief and breach of contract. Cher claims that Sonny’s widow, Mary, and ... -
The Legal Beat: Self-Defense for Songwriters
In my law practice I am often contacted by songwriters who believe their original work has been stolen. This article discusses some basics of copyright law and the steps songwriters ... -
The Legal Beat: George Clinton Wins Defamation Case
Funk music legend George Clinton has won a defamation lawsuit filed against him in Los Angeles Superior Court. Clinton is a musician, singer, songwriter and music producer. His group, Parliament-Funkadelic, ... -
The Legal Beat: Music on TV in the Age of Streaming
If you watch some classic TV shows (The X-Files, Scrubs, or Bones) on streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime or Hulu, you may notice that the original music used ...
