Suno AI Music Lawsuit, Drake UMG Appeal, Diddy Lawyers & More Top Music Law News
Billboard ·
In this week's Legal Beat newsletter, a scathing new lawsuit over AI music, a "Not Like Us" court date for Drake, a legal shakeup for Diddy, and much more.
THE BIG STORY: When Suno announced its new AI model, built in “partnership” with Warner Music Group, it touted it as a way for music and AI firms to “move forward together.” But just a week later, the top two players in that industry told Suno they had no interest in doing anything together.
In a strongly worded new lawsuit filed last week, Universal Music Group (UMG) and Sony Music argued that Suno’s “wholesale theft” of copyrighted music to train its models “threatens the entire music ecosystem” and is “saturating the market” with AI slop that “cheapens” the real thing.
The lawsuit added tens of thousands of new songs to their existing copyright battle with Suno. But more importantly, it added key new legal arguments — over that newly launched model, and over the crucial fair use questions that will decide the case.
For more details on the new case, including analysis of the new claims and access to the actual complaint filed in court, go read our full story here .
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Other top stories this week…
— In other Suno news: If major music companies are partnering for an AI model, what does it mean for their artists and songwriters? Artist reps are as confused as the rest of us: “It’s the wild, wild West”
— Drake and UMG got a December court date for appellate arguments in the star’s industry-shaking defamation lawsuit over Kendrick Lamar ’s “Not Like Us”
— A judge dismissed a class action against StubHub over revelations that its CEO ran a ticket-reselling fund, ruling that the case must instead be handled in private arbitration.
— Selena Quintanilla ’s estate cannot sue the online fast fashion marketplace Shein over counterfeit Selena merch allegedly sold by others on the site, the company argued to a federal judge.
— Indie label My Block Inc. sued distributor SRG/ILS Group over royalties to Erica Campbell ‘s 2023 gospel album I Love You , echoing similar claims filed against the same company by R&B singer Kenny Lattimore . — Sean “Diddy” Combs split with New York lawyers who had represented him in civil cases for years. They say he hasn’t paid his legal bills in months; he says he’s been overcharged.
— Smokey Robinson has cycled through three different lawyers in the past three months as he continues to fight bombshell sexual abuse claims from former household employees.
— A London man was sentenced to over three years in prison for running a counterfeit vinyl operation that produced phony Taylor Swift , Coldplay and Kendrick Lamar records.
— Sasha Safavi , who spent years as the legal chief at distribution/label services company UnitedMasters, left to start his own law firm called Syndicate.