Music Law Archives - The Lomnitzer Law Firm, P.A.

Music Law

Why Has Taylor Swift Been Rerecording Her Old Albums?

You have to listen hard to hear the more luxuriant twangs from the opening banjoes or the extra beat in the lyric, but Taylor Swift is on a mission to re-record her old songs, including 2008’s “Love Story,” the song...

The Push for Royalties From Traditional Radio Stations

A bipartisan bill to compensate artists when their songs are played on FM/AM radio stations instead of just on digital music platforms, is gaining some traction in Congress. It was first introduced in June 2021, although a second bill reintroduced...

Ed Sheeran Wins Copyright Infringement Case Against the Estate of Marvin Gaye

On March 4, 2023, a New York federal jury concluded that the popular British music artist Ed Sheeran is not liable for copyright infringement after lengthy litigation to settle a lawsuit. It took the jury less than three hours to...

Jazz Composer Claims YouTube Protects Only the Most Powerful Copyright Holders

The 2020 copyright infringement lawsuit that jazz composer Maria Schneider filed against YouTube highlights the crucial role that well-crafted entertainment contracts play when accusations continue to fly, and parties ask for summary judgment. California U.S. District Court Judge James Donato...

Contracts Music Law

Lupe Fiasco and His Conflict with Atlantic Records

Hip hop artist and entrepreneur Wasalu Muhammad Jaco, widely known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco, has been candid about his contentious dealings with Warner Music Group’s (WMG) Atlantic Records early in his career. Even with solid contracts, Fiasco claims...

Reservoir Media’s Push to Buy Song Rights

The goal of songwriters and artists has always been to get their music in front of as many people and in as many ears as possible. Sadly, many artists have given little thought to the intellectual property implications of this...

Music Law

Muse Releases an NFT Album That is Eligible to Chart

The rise of non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, has been a seismic change in the digital age. An NFT functions as a digital asset that creates a single coded imprint that makes it unique. Where this differs from traditional media is...

Music Copyright Lawsuits Take Aim at New Songs

When Charles Colton coined the idiom “imitation is the sincerest of flattery” in 1820, he couldn’t have foreseen the effect those words have had on recent music copyright litigation. He meant that you could flatter someone by imitating them, but...

On The Verge: The Biggest Update To Music Copyright Law In Over 40 Years

There’s a copyright bill racing through Congress so quickly that it could become law by the time you read this. But before we talk about what’s happening now, let’s take a look back at the past for context. What Does...

Why Music May Be Less Widely Available In The Future

Though you may not have known about it, the government and the music industry recently went to battle. And though you may not have known about it, it affects you whether you’re a musician, a business owner, or a music...

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