Hip-Hop Producer Madlib Sues Former Manager Egon Alapatt for Alleged Financial Mismanagement and Self-Dealing
October 31, 2024
Hip-hop producer Madlib has filed a lawsuit against his former manager, Eothen “Egon” Alapatt, in County of Los Angeles Superior Court, accusing him of serious financial mismanagement and self-dealing. Madlib claims Alapatt mishandled his music and merchandise companies, Madicine Show and Rapp Cats, using his position for personal gain by taking profits without documentation, blocking audits, and withholding access to Madlib’s music accounts. Additionally, Alapatt allegedly locked Madlib out of his branded Quasimoto accounts and directed shared resources, like lawyers and accountants, without Madlib’s consent. Madlib seeks a jury trial, dissolution of their joint business ventures, and full accounting of the alleged financial discrepancies. This lawsuit follows another from the estate of MF DOOM, Madlib’s late collaborator, which accuses Alapatt of misappropriating valuable creative materials.
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Tags: Litigation, Financial Mismanagement
Young Thug Released on Probation After Pleading Guilty in YSL RICO Case
October 31, 2024
In a surprise move after years of litigation in the YSL RICO case, rapper Young Thug (Jeffery Williams) has been released after over two years in custody. Following a guilty plea to multiple charges, including drug and firearm possession. Young Thug received a sentence of 15 years probation with no prison time. His non-negotiated plea came after declining an earlier deal, leaving sentencing to Judge Paige Reese Whitaker, who urged him to use his influence to guide young people positively.
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Tags: Litigation, RICO
Court Allows Class Action Against Live Nation Over Ticket Prices After Declaring User Agreements Unenforceable
October 31, 2024
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has ruled that Live Nation and Ticketmaster must face a class action lawsuit alleging they imposed “extraordinarily high” ticket prices on consumers. The court found that the companies’ arbitration agreements — which would have forced ticket buyers to resolve disputes privately — were “opaque, unfair, and unconscionable.” The ruling described the agreements as overly complicated, riddled with errors, and so one-sided that even Live Nation’s own lawyers struggled to explain them in court. This decision allows a 2022 class action suit to proceed, which accuses Live Nation of monopolizing the concert ticket market and engaging in “predatory” practices. It marks another major legal challenge for Live Nation, which is also facing an antitrust lawsuit from the U.S. Department of Justice aimed at potentially breaking up the company’s hold on the live entertainment industry.
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Tags: Litigation, Live Nation, Contract
Adidas and Ye Settle Legal Disputes Over Yeezy Partnership Termination
October 29, 2024
Adidas and Ye (formerly Kanye West) have reached a settlement ending all legal disputes arising from Adidas’s 2022 decision to terminate its Yeezy brand partnership over the rapper’s controversial antisemitic statements and unpredictable behavior. The breakup had left Adidas with $1.3 billion in unsold Yeezy products, leading to financial losses and even a securities fraud suit from investors. The settlement reportedly closes both public court actions and private arbitration proceedings related to Adidas’s claims that Ye’s actions damaged the brand and violated contract terms.
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Tags: Litigation, Settlement
Texas Supreme Court Rules Live Nation CEO Must Testify in Astroworld Tragedy Lawsuit
October 24, 2024
The Texas Supreme Court has ruled that Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino must testify in ongoing litigation surrounding the 2021 Astroworld Festival disaster, where a deadly crowd surge during Travis Scott’s set led to 10 deaths and hundreds of injuries. Live Nation sought to prevent the deposition, arguing that Rapino’s role as a top-level executive kept him far removed from festival operations. However, victims’ attorneys pointed to direct involvement, including a specific email from Rapino on the night of the tragedy in which he discussed the possibility of canceling the event if fatalities reached a certain number. The court’s decision upholds an earlier ruling, allowing plaintiffs to question Rapino on his involvement in key decisions during the event.
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Tags: Litigation, Live Performance
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Sued By Photographer Over Copyright Photo of Rock Artist Van Halen
October 21, 2024
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is facing a new lawsuit over the alleged unauthorized display of a photo of rock artist Eddie Van Halen [SO1] by well-known rock photographer Neil Zlozower. The complaint, filed in the Northern District of Ohio court, claims that the Hall of Fame used a large eight-foot-tall reproduction of a black-and-white image of Van Halen in the recording studio, without obtaining the necessary license from Zlozower. This lawsuit is one of over 50 similar cases Zlozwer has filed against various major entities, including Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, Ticketmaster, and others. The photographer seeks statutory damages, which could reach $150,000 per infringement if proven intentional.
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Tags: Litigation, Copyright
Jury Verdict Allows Hip Hop Group 2 Live Crew to Retake Control of Catalog Rights From Label.
October 17, 2024
In a significant legal victory, the members of the hip-hop group 2 Live Crew have successfully regained control of five of their albums, including the iconic As Nasty as They Wanna Be, after a jury in the Southern District of Florida ruled in their favor. The hip-hop group invoked copyright law’s “termination right,” which allows creators to reclaim their works decades after selling them. The lawsuit stemmed from a long-standing dispute with Lil Joe Records, which had purchased 2 Live Crew’s catalog during their label’s bankruptcy in the 1990s. Lil Joe Records claimed the group forfeited their termination right when they filed for bankruptcy. The jury however sided with 2 Live Crew noting that termination rights are inalienable. Lil Joe Records plans to appeal the case to the Supreme Court.
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Tags: Litigation, Copyright, Catalog, Verdict
Drummer from the Rock Band The Offspring Loses Appeal Against Bandmates Over Catalogue Sale Dispute.
October 10, 2024
Punk rock band The Offspring has won a legal battle against their former drummer, Ron Welty, who sought millions more from the band’s $35 million catalog sale. Welty, who played with the band during its heyday in the 1990s, claimed he was owed a larger portion of the proceeds from the 2015 catalog sale to Round Hill Music. The sale included $20 million for the band’s masters and $15 million for publishing rights, the latter paid directly to lead singer Bryan “Dexter” Holland. Welty argued he was entitled to a portion of the publishing revenue, claiming at least $2.8 million more. However, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge ruled against Welty in 2022, stating the deal was fair, and that Holland, as the primary songwriter, rightfully received the publishing rights. The California Court of Appeals upheld this decision, rejecting Welty’s appeal.
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Universal Music Group Sues Chili’s for Using Songs by Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber & Others in Social Media Ads
October 10, 2024
Just months after the rap group the Beastie Boys filed a lawsuit against the parent company of the chain restaurant Chili’s for using their song “Sabotage” in social media ads without permission, Universal Music Group (UMG) has also sued Chili’s parent company, Brinker International, for using more than 60 songs by artists like Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, and others in promotional social media videos without obtaining the necessary synchronization licenses.
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Tags: Litigation, Copyright
Singer Barry White’s Estate Files Copyright Case Over Sample in Rapper Future’s song “Like That”
October 9, 2024
Singer Barry White’s estate has filed a lawsuit in the Southern District of New York, alleging that the 1986 hip-hop track “Everlasting Bass” by Rodney-O & Joe Cooley infringed upon White’s 1973 hit “I’m Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby.” The suit was filed after the duo’s song was heavily sampled in Future and Metro Boomin’s chart-topping hit “Like That,” released earlier this year. Interestingly, the lawsuit does not accuse Future, Metro Boomin, or Kendrick Lamar of wrongdoing. Instead, it claims that Rodney-O & Joe Cooley, who were credited as co-writers on “Like That,” are responsible for any infringement. The estate argues that the original 1986 song incorporated elements of White’s hit, including its iconic bass line.
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Sony Music Settles Lawsuit Against Marriott Hotels Over Alleged Copyright Infringement in Social Media Posts
October 9, 2024
Sony Music has settled its copyright lawsuit against Marriott International, in which it accused the hotel chain of using over 900 songs without permission in its social media posts. The case, filed in May 2024 in the District of Delaware, claimed Marriott’s posts exploited popular music to boost visibility. A settlement was reached on October 8, with both parties asking for the case’s dismissal with prejudice. No further details of the settlement were disclosed.
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Tags: Litigation, Copyright
Rap-Rock Band Limp Bizkit Sues Universal Music for $200M Over Alleged Royalty Underpayments
October 8, 2024
Rap-rock band Limp Bizkit has filed a major lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG), seeking $200 million in damages. The band, led by Fred Durst, alleges that UMG has withheld millions in royalties owed to them over the years. The lawsuit, filed in October 2024 in the Central District of California, accuses UMG of fraudulent practices, including designing systems that obscure royalties and keep profits from artists like Limp Bizkit. Despite releasing six albums with UMG’s sub-label Interscope Records from 1997 to 2011, the band claims they haven’t received any royalties for years. Limp Bizkit also alleges that they were told by UMG that they were still $43 million away from recouping their advance, even though the band had already repaid significant amounts.
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Tags: Litigation, Royalites
Live Nation vs. DOJ Update
October 7, 2024
Judge Arun Subramanian, who is overseeing the proceedings, has denied Live Nation’s request to move the DOJ’s antitrust case against them to Washington DC. Live Nation argued a 2010 consent decree required the case to be heard in DC, but the judge ruled the current accusations go beyond that decree. Subramanian also rejected Live Nation’s claim that DC would be a more convenient venue, noting that proceedings in New York are already moving toward a trial in early 2026.
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Tags: Litigation, Ticketing, DOJ, Update
Rock Band Fleetwood Mac’s Producer Sues Broadway Show Stereophonic for Copying His Rumours Memoir
October 2, 2024
Ken Caillat, a producer of rock band Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours, has filed a lawsuit against the creators of Broadway’s Stereophonic, accusing them of copying his 2012 memoir Making Rumours. The lawsuit, filed in the Southern District of New York, alleges that the Tony-winning play which depicts the high tensions and heavy drug use of five musicians during a music recording session from the perspective of the sound engineer, borrows key elements from Caillat’s book and presents them without permission.
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Tags: Litigation, Copyright
Former Lawyer for El Chapo, Mariel Colón, Launches Music Career with “La Señora” Featuring Emma Coronel
October 1, 2024
Mariel Colón, who once defended Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, has transitioned into a music career, releasing the video La Señora, which stars Guzmán’s wife, Emma Coronel. The video highlights Coronel’s life after prison. Colón, who still visits her former client Guzmán says she builds rapport with his fellow inmates by serenading them when she visits three times a month.
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Tags: Lawyers in Music
Singer Lauryn Hill Hit With Lawsuit From Fugees Bandmate Pras Over Canceled Tours
October 1, 2024
Pras Michel, a member of the hip hop trio Fugees, has filed a lawsuit against fellow member Lauryn Hill, accusing her of defrauding him in connection to the group’s 2023 and 2024 tours. The suit, filed in the Southern District of New York, alleges that Hill exploited Pras’s legal troubles to lure him into a touring deal that secretly paid her more than the rest of the band, despite promises of equal compensation. He also blames Hill for the abrupt cancellation of the 2024 tour, alleging her mismanagement led to poor ticket sales. Hill has denied the accusations, stating she helped Pras financially during his legal issues and that the lawsuit omits key facts, including his advance payments.
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Tags: Litigation, Band Disputes