Fallout From Cox Mega-Damages Reversal Continues as Publishers Streamline Anthropic Claims and Labels Ditch Copycat Verizon Case
The U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Cox Communications ruling, tightening the definition of contributory copyright infringement to require intent to induce or a service tailored to infringement. The decision cleared Verizon and other ISPs, including RCN, of pending piracy lawsuits, prompting joint dismissals with prejudice. Music publishers also withdrew their contributory infringement claims against AI firm Anthropic, citing the Cox precedent as fatal. The ruling is now being cited by platforms like X and Yout as a defense against further copyright actions.
SoundExchange Boss Says All EU Countries Must Change Copyright Rules so European Radio Royalties Flow to American Performers
SoundExchange CEO Michael Huppe welcomed Ireland’s amendment to its copyright law, which now obliges Irish radio royalties to be paid to American performers. The change stems from an EU court ruling that mandates all member states to allow such payments,...
PRS Sues Gaming Platform Giant Steam for Copyright Infringement
UK collecting society PRS has filed a lawsuit against Valve’s Steam platform, alleging that Steam distributes games containing music by PRS members without securing the required "making available" licences. PRS argues that while game publishers obtain sync licences for in‑game...
Chance The Rapper and Pat The Manager Bust-Up Heads to Court over Disputed Sunset Clause
Chance The Rapper and former manager Pat Corcoran are in a five‑year Illinois court fight over an alleged sunset clause in an unwritten 2013 management agreement. Corcoran claims the clause entitles him to 15% commissions for three years after their 2020...
Australia’s Rolling Loud Gets Cancelled as Festival and Promoter Pin Blame on Each Other
Rolling Loud’s Australian editions in Sydney and Melbourne were cancelled at the last minute after a dispute with local promoter Primuse Entertainment over missed payment deadlines. Rolling Loud said the financial shortfall left it without guarantees needed for safety and...
ProtonVPN Says It Shouldn’t Have to Cut Off Pirates - but Fails to Convince French Courts
A French court rejected ProtonVPN’s arguments against mandatory blocking of sports piracy sites, compelling the Swiss VPN provider to enforce the order in France. ProtonVPN claimed the block violated the EU’s Open Internet Regulation and would cause technical overreach, but...
Producer Who Accused Karol G of Beat-Theft Dismisses His Lawsuit, Adding “We Were Wrong”
Producer Alfr3d Beats, real name Dick Alfredo Caballero Rodriguez, withdrew his lawsuit accusing Karol G of stealing his beat for the 2022 hit “Gatúbela.” During discovery, DJ Maff supplied session files proving the beat was created months before Alfr3d Beats posted his...
UK Government Must Extend New NDA Protections to Freelancers to Truly Tackle Misogyny in Music, Say MPs
The UK Parliament’s Women & Equalities Committee is pressing the government to extend the Employment Rights Act’s ban on non‑disclosure agreements (NDAs) to freelancers in the music sector. While the Act now voids NDAs that silence employees reporting harassment, it...
Ador Founder Wins Legal Battle over Shareholder Agreement with HYBE, Which Now Needs to Pay Her $17.7 Million
South Korean court ruled that HYBE must pay former Ador CEO Min Hee‑jin $17.7 million, confirming the validity of the shareholder agreement that obligates HYBE to purchase her Ador shares at a pre‑agreed earnings multiple. HYBE had terminated the agreement in...
Anna’s Archive Ignores Court Order and Starts Making Stolen Spotify Files Available to Torrent
Anna’s Archive, a piracy activist group, has begun seeding roughly 2.8 million Spotify tracks—about 6 TB of audio—via its torrent index, despite a New York court injunction and a $13 trillion lawsuit filed by Spotify and major labels. The leak follows a massive...
Deadmau5 Says New Laws Needed to “Stop Idiots From Abusing AI” After Appearing in Deepfake Promo Video
Deadmau5 publicly condemned an AI‑generated deepfake video that falsely showed him endorsing another DJ. He described the clip as “scary as fuck” and called for new laws to protect personal likenesses. The episode spotlights the pending NO FAKES Act, which...
Boycotts Aren’t Always an Option for Artists “Beholden” To Corporations that “Prioritise Profit over Ethics”, Alexis Krauss Explains
Alexis Krauss of Sleigh Bells explains why many mid‑tier artists find it impossible to boycott major platforms like Spotify and Live Nation despite ethical concerns. She cites the financial reliance on Spotify streams and the necessity of Live Nation‑handled tours...