Judge Richard J. Sullivan granted plaintiff Capitol Records’ motion for summary judgment on its copyright claims against digital music file reseller ReDigi.  ReDigi’s online platform allows users to upload and resell songs purchased from online retailers, and deletes the origin file once a song is posted for sale.  Judge Sullivan held that ReDigi is “distributing [...]

“Lip-dubs,” or videos combining audio-dubbing and numerous individuals collectively lip-sync a popular song, were all the rage on YouTube, Vimeo, and other user-generated content sites just a few short years ago.  Countless university students, corporate employees, and even summer camp attendees took part in this craze, posting their original creations on the Internet for the [...]

Two weeks ago, Wired reported that Mumford & Sons’s latest album, Babel, contains fine print on the back that could expose individuals who lend the CD to friends to copyright litigation. The fine print reads:  “The copyright in this sound recording and artwork is owned by Mumford & Sons.  Warning: all rights reserved.  Unauthorized copying, [...]

Musician Zac Brown has been sued for copyright infringement, among other claims. A former employee, Kyle Landas, claims the musician used his intellectual property, a “Unity Tree” design, without authorization. Landas also alleges he was subjected to a hostile work environment.

In a potentially important battle in determining law surrounding internet streaming services, Pandora has sued the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, asking that the judge reduce the rate Pandora pays for streaming music. Pandora claims that it pays far higher a percentage in revenue than traditional broadcasters for use of the licensed material. [...]

CMJ, a music marketing agency, will be holding a Music Marathon at NYU’s Greenwich Village campus from October 16-20.  The conference will feature over 50 panelists discussing a range of entertainment industry issues, from smartphones for the modern artist to the issues facing streaming media. Upcoming artists will also have a chance to show off [...]

On behalf of all of us who need a serious refresher on Crim law — thank you, Gawker.com, for the recent post featuring a line-by-line legal analysis breakdown of Jay-Z’s “99 Problems” by Caleb Mason, an associate professor of law at Southwestern University. The song presents the issue of what rights an individual has when [...]

Earlier this month, at the annual Coachella Music Festival, concertgoers were stunned to witness the performance of a lifetime, or should we say, an afterlife-time.  At the festival, nearly 100,000 fans witnessed a holographic Tupac Shakur, who died in 1996, performing alongside Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg.  Shakur appeared on stage, performing two songs and [...]

And now for some music industry gossip: So I was hanging in Miami last week for Ultra (a.k.a. fist-pumping hell) when I overheard two well-known “industry bros” quietly discussing the intricacies of music publishing, an emerging area of neighboring rights, and other ways to collect a check while doing nothing but sitting on a tropical [...]

Probably not the first time. Probably not the last time. Kanye West is being sued over copyright infringement of an uncleared sample on his song “Girls Girls Girls.” Read all about it here, here, and here.