Intellectual Property Protection

Intellectual property protection as it relates to the music industry, including copyrights, trademarks, and IP litigation.

TikTok Owner ByteDance Will Pay $92M to Settle Illinois Privacy Case

ByteDance, TikTok Face Copyright Infringement Lawsuit For Allegedly Stealing Proprietary Code

Dylan Smith

May 19, 2021

Photo Credit: Alexander Shatov The Beijing Meishe Network Technology Company, “a smart video and audio total solution service provider,” has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against ByteDance as well as... Read More...

Universal Music Group Beach Boys David Marks Sues Over Unpaid Royalties

Universal Music Group Sued by Beach Boys Member Over Alleged Underpayments of International Royalties

Ashley King

May 14, 2021

Photo Credit: Toglenn / CC by 3.0 Former Beach Boys guitarist David Marks has filed a proposed class-action lawsuit against Universal Music Group over unpaid international royalties. Marks alleges that Unive... Read More...

Cox Communications Sues BMG, Rightscorp Over Thousands of ‘Abusive and Unfair’ Copyright Infringement Notices

Dylan Smith

May 14, 2021

Cox Communications has fired back against BMG and Rightscorp for allegedly engaging in an “abusive and unfair campaign” of deliberately sending thousands of copyright infringement notices to an “improper emai... Read More...

Federal Court Officially Enters Settlement In Pro Music Rights v. Spotify Lawsuit

Dylan Smith

May 11, 2021

In late March, Digital Music News was first to report that Spotify had settled the billion-dollar copyright-infringement lawsuit brought against it by indie label Sosa Entertainment and performing rights orga... Read More...

Matt Simons Takes Legal Action Against UMG Over Allegedly Unpaid “Catch & Release” Royalties

Dylan Smith

May 7, 2021

Matt Simons performing live in Berlin in 2016. Photo Credit: Denis Apel “Catch & Release” singer-songwriter Matt Simons has taken legal action against Universal Music Group’s Republic Records for allegedl... Read More...

Major Labels Pursue Legal Action Against Vimeo In Italy

Dylan Smith

May 5, 2021

Venice, Italy. Photo Credit: canmandawe The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) is officially pursuing legal action against Vimeo over the New York City-headquartered video-sharing se... Read More...

Lizzo Scores Another Major Victory In ‘Truth Hurts’ Copyright Infringement Claim

Dylan Smith

April 30, 2021

Photo Credit: Andy Witchger / CC by 2.0 Lizzo (full name Melissa Jefferson) has scored another major victory in her much-publicized “Truth Hurts” copyright infringement lawsuit against brothers Justin and Jer... Read More...

HFA Can’t Duck Out of the Eminem Publisher Lawsuit, Judge Rules

Dylan Smith

April 23, 2021

Eminem. Photo Credit: EJ Hersom / CC by 2.0 Judge Aleta A. Trauger has denied the HFA’s motion to dismiss the copyright infringement lawsuit it’s facing from Eminem publisher Eight Mile Style – while also det... Read More...

Grammy-Winning Artist Litigates Against YouTube to Disclose Information About Repeat Copyright Infringers

Dylan Smith

April 5, 2021

Last July, Grammy-winning jazz professional Maria Schneider named YouTube in a class-action lawsuit for allegedly discriminating against certain creators with its Content ID program. Now, Schneider has formal... Read More...

Pro Music Rights (PMR) Provides Official Update on Multimillion-Dollar Settlement Agreements

Dylan Smith

March 30, 2021

Florida-based performing rights organization (PRO) Pro Music Rights has provided official updates on a pair of high-profile settlements that it finalized back in December of 2020, with a Chinese medical-canna... Read More...

Bob Dylan Moves to Dismiss $7.25 Million Lawsuit Stemming From UMPG Catalog Sale

Dylan Smith

March 26, 2021

Bob Dylan performing live. Photo Credit: Alberto Cabello In late January, Bob Dylan was named in a multimillion-dollar lawsuit for allegedly failing to honor the terms of a contract he’d inked with songwriter... Read More...

Taylor Swift and Evermore Theme Park Drop Their Lawsuits Against One Another

Dylan Smith

March 25, 2021

Taylor Swift and Pleasant Grove, Utah-based Evermore Park have officially dropped their lawsuits against one another. The first of the two legal actions initiated last month, when Evermore Park – which start... Read More...

Burt Bacharach Dazzles at the Guild of Music Supervisors Awards in LA — Here’s Who Took Home Trophies

Social Media Is Transforming Sync — Here’s How I’m Scoring Placements in the Digital Age

Meet the Sync Superstar Behind the Ad for Nissan’s 2023 Z

Robyn Cage Discusses Sync Licensing Tips for Beginners on Songtradr

Sync Licensing Is Helping This Tropical Music Star Find Fans on the Global Stage

Here’s How a Volume-Based Sync Licensing Approach Helped These Musicians Score a VRBO Placement

Here’s What Drives Sync Licensing Success — According to a Veteran Creator Fresh Off a Samsung Placement

Stop Chasing Playlists and Start Building a Music Career — Our Latest Podcast

Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music Are Only Getting Bigger — Which Is Great News for Niche Streaming Platforms (Our Latest Podcast)

Meet the Artist Who Is Literally Saving His Fans’ Lives — Our Latest Podcast

How to Game the Billboard Charts (And Why You Shouldn’t) — Our Latest Podcast

‘Bone Conduction’ Headphones Don’t Go Over Your Ears — But Still Transmit Sound to Your Inner Cochlea

Now That the Music Modernization Act Has Passed, Who’s Gonna Run the Damn Thing?

Investing In Music Catalogs? It Ain’t All Daisies & Butterflies — Our Latest Podcast

Feds Uncover Alleged $20 Million Music Royalty Scam — 50,000+ Songs Illegally Claimed

Universal Music Sues Investment Platform Over Alleged Republic Records Trademark Infringement

Cox Communications Alleges Concealment of Evidence, ‘Misstatements at Trial’ Amid Effort to Overturn $1 Billion Copyright Infringement Verdict

Stream-Ripper Yout Refiles Aggressive Lawsuit Against the RIAA After FLVTO and Y2mate U.S. Shutdowns

Federal Court Dismisses Stream-Ripper Yout’s Aggressive Lawsuit Against the RIAA

ByteDance, TikTok Face Copyright Infringement Lawsuit For Allegedly Stealing Proprietary Code

Universal Music Group Sued by Beach Boys Member Over Alleged Underpayments of International Royalties

Cox Communications Sues BMG, Rightscorp Over Thousands of ‘Abusive and Unfair’ Copyright Infringement Notices

Federal Court Officially Enters Settlement In Pro Music Rights v. Spotify Lawsuit

Matt Simons Takes Legal Action Against UMG Over Allegedly Unpaid “Catch & Release” Royalties

Major Labels Pursue Legal Action Against Vimeo In Italy

Lizzo Scores Another Major Victory In ‘Truth Hurts’ Copyright Infringement Claim

HFA Can’t Duck Out of the Eminem Publisher Lawsuit, Judge Rules

Grammy-Winning Artist Litigates Against YouTube to Disclose Information About Repeat Copyright Infringers

Pro Music Rights (PMR) Provides Official Update on Multimillion-Dollar Settlement Agreements

Bob Dylan Moves to Dismiss $7.25 Million Lawsuit Stemming From UMPG Catalog Sale

Taylor Swift and Evermore Theme Park Drop Their Lawsuits Against One Another