On ‘Dark Horse’ Plagiarism Case, a Professional Musicologist Testifies Against Katy Perry and UMG

Did Katy Perry and her musical team knowingly steal a Christian rapper’s song to create ‘Dark Horse?’ According to Perry, no.  Of course not. Yet, according to rapper Marcus Gray and renowned musicologist and professor Todd Decker, yes.  Yes, she did. …

In Heated ‘Leaving Neverland’ Case, a California Judge Asks Whether Forced Arbitration Would Violate HBO’s First Amendment Rights

Does sending a questionable documentary back to arbitration violate freedom of speech? That’s the question a California federal judge has in mind. Earlier this week, U.S. District Court Judge George H. Wu asked HBO and the Michael Jackson Estate to fil…

No Spotify or Slack Here — iHeartMedia’s Shares Fall as Much as 7% on Its First Day on NASDAQ

Emerging from bankruptcy, iHeartMedia returned to Wall Street yesterday morning. Unfortunately, the nation’s largest radio broadcaster wasn’t exactly welcomed with open arms. Now trading under “IHRT” on NASDAQ, investors swiftly punished the stock shor…

Following Two Years of Failure, Senate Judiciary Committee Votes to Advance 2019 CASE Act

On October 4th, 2017, two lawmakers proposed a new small claims court for music artists and other content creators. Representatives Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Tom Marino (R-PA) introduced the Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement (CASE) Act…

Multiple Suitors Have Lined Up to Acquire eBay’s StubHub

In March, eBay finally caved to a minority group of very vocal investors. The company confirmed it has now considered a “strategic review” of its business assets.  This includes a possible sale or spin-off of StubHub and its classifieds ad business. Th…

Five Months After Launching in India, Spotify Barely Has Over 2 Million Local Users

Shifting the global music streaming race, Spotify recently rolled out its ‘Lite’ app in over 36 countries. The move comes after a year of testing the 15 MB app in small countries, including Brazil. So, what makes the ‘Lite’ app so unique?  Spotify allo…

Billionaire Mogul and Power Rangers Producer Haim Saban Launches Saban Music Group

Last year, Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s ‘Despacito’ took the music industry by storm. After just eight months on YouTube, the popular Spanish-only single overtook Wiz Khalifa’s ‘See You Again’ and Psy’s ‘Gangnam Style.’  The song emerged as the most-w…

Despite an Ex-Employee’s Rebuttal, UMG Sticks to Its ’22 Lost Master Recordings’ Story, Telling a Judge to Dismiss a $100 Million Lawsuit Over the 2008 Fire

So, just how bad is the damage following the 2008 Universal Studios fire? According to the New York Times, very, very bad. With the fire destroying Building 6197, which housed master tape catalogs of numerous labels acquired by Universal Music Group (U…

YouTube Remains Silent on Whether Relatively Unknown Indian Rapper Badshah Actually Broke Taylor Swift and BTS’ Respective Most-Viewed Records

According to Sony Music, an Indian artist on its roster single-handedly broke Taylor Swift and BTS’ respective YouTube record. Or so it seems. Currently, Taylor Swift’s single ‘Me!’ holds the 24-hour most-viewed record with 65.4 million.  Ariana Grande…

Alda Events Argues Paul van Dyk Doesn’t Have the Right to Receive $12.6 Million Awarded Following Near-Fatal 2016 Fall

Three years ago, Paul van Dyk fell off the stage at a music festival in the Netherlands. The horrific fall, which nearly killed the German DJ, left him with a severe brain injury and damage to his spine. Paul van Dyk – real name Matthias Paul – pinned …