music copyright News

Music Publisher Loses Bid Over Copyright for ‘Happy Birthday’ Song

A U.S. judge on Tuesday ruled that Warner/Chappell Music does not own a valid copyright to one of the world’s most recognizable songs, “Happy Birthday to You,” a decision that brings the song into the public domain. The highly-anticipated ruling …

Marvin Gaye Family’s Music Copyright Verdict Reduced

A U.S. judge on Tuesday cut a copyright infringement verdict by more than $2 million against recording stars Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams over their 2013 smash hit “Blurred Lines,” but offered Marvin Gaye’s heirs a 50 percent royalty on …

Sirius XM to Face Class Action in Turtles Copyright Suit

A U.S. judge in California allowed a class action lawsuit to proceed on Wednesday against satellite-radio company Sirius XM Holdings Inc over the payment of royalties for songs produced before 1972, in a case that is being closely watched for …

Copyright Claim Against Led Zeppelin’s ‘Stairway to Heaven’ Moved to California

A lawsuit claiming that Stairway to Heaven was filched from an obscure song by the band Spirit has survived its first legal challenge. The Philadelphia judge in the copyright infringement case against Led Zeppelin ruled yesterday that the suit shouldn’t …

Another Setback for Sirius XM in Turtles Copyright Case

A New York federal judge on Thursday largely rejected Sirius XM Holdings Inc’s request to reconsider her Nov. 14 decision in favor of members of the 1960s band The Turtles over the payment of royalties for songs made before 1972. …

Capitol Records Copyright Win Deals Blow to Digital Goods Resellers

In a major lawsuit testing the legitimacy of music downloads, Capitol Records LLC has won a court ruling that the start-up ReDigi Inc. has infringed its music copyrights. U.S. District Judge Richard Sullivan in Manhattan said ReDigi was not authorized …