News & Analysis as of

Music Copyright Ownership

Haug Partners LLP

Warner Chappell Music, Inc. v. Nealy: Plaintiffs Can Recover Damages for Timely Claims of Copyright Infringement Dating Back More...

Haug Partners LLP on

On May 9, 2024, the Supreme Court in Warner Chappell, Music Inc. v. Nealy settled a longstanding circuit split and ruled 6-3 that the Copyright Act entitles a copyright owner to recover damages for any timely claim, no matter...more

Venable LLP

Top Ten Current Key Copyright Issues and Pitfalls Affecting Nonprofits

Venable LLP on

With decades of experience assisting nonprofit clients with copyright issues, we periodically like to offer refreshers on key copyright issues and highlight current trends we see nonprofit organizations encounter with...more

Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.L.L.C.

MarkIt to Market® - February 2024

Thank you for reading the February 2024 issue of Sterne Kessler's MarkIt to Market® newsletter. This month, we discuss the advertising rights of luxury resellers and important updates to the Warner Chappell Music v. Nealy...more

Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.L.L.C.

Time's Up: Supreme Court to Grapple with Damages Dilemma in Warner Chappell Music v. Nealy

On February 21, 2024, the Supreme Court of the United States heard oral arguments in Warner Chappell Music, Inc. et al. v. Nealy et al. The case involves whether plaintiff music producer Sherman Nealy may recover damages for...more

Dorsey & Whitney LLP

Whose Song Is It Anyway? Questions about Samples in Flo Rida and will.i.am’s Hit “In the Ayer” Soar to the Supreme Court

Dorsey & Whitney LLP on

On September 29, 2023, the Supreme Court granted certiorari in Warner Chappell Music, Inc. v. Nealy, a case that should resolve a split among the U.S. Courts of Appeal relating to the scope of damages available to copyright...more

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

New Music Monetization Structure Allows Artists To Retain Ownership of Their Work

Top artists have been making headlines for striking music rights deals with deep-pocketed investors who acquire their music publishing and recording rights. Within the last two years, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Nicks, Bob...more

Dunlap Bennett & Ludwig PLLC

You Need an IP Lawyer (Just Ask Taylor Swift)

Copyright Law is derived from the enumerated grant of power for Congress “to promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective...more

Fenwick & West LLP

Copyright Office Releases Post-MMA Report on Unclaimed Royalties

Fenwick & West LLP on

On July 8, 2021, the U.S. Copyright Office released a public report, Unclaimed Royalties: Best Practice Recommendations for the Mechanical Licensing Collective, as required by the Music Modernization Act (MMA). The passage of...more

Fenwick & West LLP

Nicki Minaj Safeguards the Right for Artists to Experiment with Unlicensed Work

Fenwick & West LLP on

On September 16, 2020, California federal judge Virginia A. Phillips ruled that Nicki Minaj’s use of Tracy Chapman’s copyrighted work in the creation of Minaj’s song “Sorry” was fair use. “Sorry” interpolated Chapman’s...more

Fish & Richardson

Led Zeppelin Paves the Way for Katy Perry

Fish & Richardson on

We recently wrote about Led Zeppelin’s victory at the Ninth Circuit in the dispute over “Stairway to Heaven.” Although just a few weeks old, the decision has already been applied in a music case to find non-infringement,...more

Robins Kaplan LLP

“Pound Cake” Sampling Is Fair Use According to the Second Circuit

Robins Kaplan LLP on

Drake prevails again – this time at the Second Circuit. On February 3, 2020, the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit upheld the district court’s grant of summary judgment in favor of Drake, finding that his use of a...more

Robins Kaplan LLP

Chris Cornell’s Widow Sues Soundgarden for Copyrights to Unreleased Songs

Robins Kaplan LLP on

The widow of the late Soundgarden frontman, Chris Cornell, has sued the band, its members, and business managers for copyright ownership of unreleased sound recordings and withholding royalties. ...more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Court Sanctions Defendant for Failure to Preserve Text Messages in Copyright Infringement Suit Brought by Prince’s Estate

Seyfarth Shaw LLP on

This is what it sounds like, when sanctions are granted. In March 2019, a federal judge in Minnesota sanctioned Defendants for their failure to preserve text messages in a copyright infringement suit brought in part by the...more

Robins Kaplan LLP

Who Owns Truth Hurts?

Robins Kaplan LLP on

Sometimes the truth hurts – but what is the truth here? On October 23, Melissa Jefferson, professionally known as Lizzo, filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court in Los Angeles seeking a declaratory judgment...more

Robins Kaplan LLP

I Feel Glorious – Macklemore Overcomes Copyright Suit

Robins Kaplan LLP on

“I feel glorious, glorious,” Macklemore is saying. On Tuesday, April 23, a Louisiana federal judge in the Fifth Circuit dismissed a 2017 lawsuit claiming that Macklemore and Ryan Lewis unlawfully sampled Paul Batiste’s sound...more

Brooks Pierce

Music Law 101: Copyright Infringement and Fair Use

Brooks Pierce on

As we have previously discussed, the owner of the copyright in a work has certain exclusive rights in that work. Anyone who violates the exclusive rights of the copyright owner is an infringer of that copyright. To...more

Robins Kaplan LLP

Taylor Swift Sets New Norms for Artists

Robins Kaplan LLP on

Taylor Swift just signed a new record deal that will likely influence the ways in which other artists negotiate with labels....more

Brooks Pierce

Music Licensing Databases? The Transparency in Music Licensing Ownership Act and ASCAP/BMI

Brooks Pierce on

On July 20, US Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) introduced the Transparency in Music Licensing Ownership Act. The legislation would create a database of music copyright ownership and licensing information. ...more

18 Results
 / 
View per page
Page: of 1

"My best business intelligence, in one easy email…"

Your first step to building a free, personalized, morning email brief covering pertinent authors and topics on JD Supra:
*By using the service, you signify your acceptance of JD Supra's Privacy Policy.
- hide
- hide