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Copyright Infringement Appeals Music Industry

Kaufman & Canoles

K&C Sports & Entertainment Law Weekly Roundup - July 2025 #2

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Jonathan Barnett, once named the “World’s Most Powerful Sports Agent” by Forbes, is accused of forcing an Australian woman to serve as his “sex slave,” while his sports agency within Creative Artists Agency ignored the...more

Wiley Rein LLP

Supreme Court Takes Up Cox Communications Copyright Infringement Case

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On June 30, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal in Cox Communications, Inc. v. Sony Music Entertainment, setting the stage for the high court to define copyright infringement liability for internet service...more

McDermott Will & Schulte

Plausibly Alleging Access Requires More Than Social Media Visibility

The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court’s dismissal of a copyright action, finding that the plaintiff failed to plausibly allege either that the defendant had “access” to the work in question...more

Loeb & Loeb LLP

Woodland v. Hill

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Ninth Circuit affirms dismissal of copyright infringement claim against musician Lil Nas X, finding that mere availability of plaintiff influencer’s photographs on Instagram does not amount to access to those photographs and...more

Loeb & Loeb LLP

Sound and Color, LLC v. Samuel Smith

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Ninth Circuit reverses summary judgment in favor of pop singer Sam Smith in music copyright dispute, holding in unpublished opinion that hook in plaintiff’s song may be protectable as unique selection and arrangement of...more

Ervin Cohen & Jessup LLP

Ninth Circuit Revives Copyright Suit Over Sam Smith’s “Dancing with a Stranger” and Reaffirms the Jury’s Role

On April 29, 2025, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals revived the copyright infringement case filed by Sound and Color, LLC against Sam Smith, Normani, and related parties (collectively, “Defendants”) concerning the hit song...more

Kaufman & Canoles

K&C Sports & Entertainment Law Weekly Roundup - April 2025 #4

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Jack Nicklaus just scored a $1 million win in a New York court, striking back against his former company’s attempt to control his personal brand....more

Houston Harbaugh, P.C.

SCOTUS Rules that Copyright Damages Can Be Recovered Beyond Three Years, Leave Discovery Rule For Another Day

Houston Harbaugh, P.C. on

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on May 9th, 2024, in the case of Warner Chappell Music, Inc., et al., v. Nealy, et al., that plaintiffs in a copyright ownership dispute can recover damages beyond the three-year statute of...more

Paul Hastings LLP

The Supreme Court Affirms the Availability of Damages Beyond Three Years for Copyright Infringement If the Discovery Rule Applies

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On May 9, 2024, the Supreme Court issued its decision in Warner Chappell Music Inc. et al. v. Nealy et al., holding that a plaintiff can seek damages for past infringement that had occurred earlier than the three-year statute...more

McCarter & English, LLP

Damages Uncapped: Supreme Court Removes Three-Year Limit on Copyright Damages

In a victory for copyright owners, the US Supreme Court confirmed in a recent case that copyright owners who sue for infringement may recover money damages that are not limited to the three-year period before filing suit....more

Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP

Going to the [Warner] Chappell, and we’re gonna get DA-A-AMAGES!

A split Supreme Court has decided that, under a plain reading of the Copyright Act, a party alleging copyright infringement may obtain damages for the entire damages period, so long as the suit itself is timely brought....more

McDermott Will & Schulte

Supreme Court Permits Retrospective Relief for Timely Copyright Claims Under Discovery Rule

On May 9, 2024, in a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court of the United States affirmed the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit’s prior ruling, holding that a plaintiff with a timely infringement claim under the discovery...more

Proskauer - Minding Your Business

From Ireland to Iceland to Groban? Supreme Court Leaves in Place Circuit Split Regarding Approach for Assessing Substantial...

The United States Supreme Court recently denied certiorari in Johannsongs-Publishing, Ltd. v. Peermusic Ltd., et al, bringing an end to a copyright infringement suit relating to Josh Groban’s 2003 song You Raise Me Up....more

Spirit Legal

Musikrecht: Urheber muss bearbeitetem Foto auf Albumcover zustimmen

Spirit Legal on

Die Verwendung fremder Fotografien kann urheberrechtlich problematisch sein. Das gilt auch, wenn fremde Bilder bearbeitet werden. Doch wann genau benötigt man die Erlaubnis des Urhebers für eine Bearbeitung und wann nicht?...more

McDermott Will & Schulte

So You Wanna Play with Copyright? “Joyful Noise” Ostinato Isn’t Original Expression

The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court’s order vacating a jury award of damages for copyright infringement and granting judgment as a matter of law, explaining that the musical work alleged to...more

Fenwick & West LLP

Katy Perry’s “Dark Horse” Comes Out in Front: Ninth Circuit Affirms No Infringement in Copyright Lawsuit

Fenwick & West LLP on

Songs often share components that sound similar to one another, which frequently raises the question of whether copyright infringement has occurred. On March 10, 2022, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held—in a...more

Dorsey & Whitney LLP

“Dark Horse” Copyright Claim Against Katy Perry - Hoofing it on a Stairway to Heaven?

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We previously reported on the Marcus Gray, et al. (“Gray”) v. Katheryn Hudson, et al. (“Perry”) case on August 2nd and August 15th of 2019. When we initially reported the details of this case, Gray was awarded damages to...more

McDermott Will & Schulte

Two Turntables, No Microphone: Using Technical Diagram Is Not Copyright Infringement

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The US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed a district court’s summary judgment grant with respect to a copyright infringement claim related to technical drawings, and reversed the court’s summary judgment grant...more

McDermott Will & Schulte

“Can’t Hold Us” Liable: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Win Affirmance in Copyright Suit

The US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed a grant of summary judgment on the issue of copyright infringement and an award of attorneys’ fees against the plaintiff under the Copyright Act. Although the Court noted...more

McDermott Will & Schulte

11th Circuit Tells Guitar Maker to Take a [Pantera] Walk on Delayed Copyright Claims

Affirming a summary judgment in favor of defendant, the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit determined that a copyright infringement lawsuit pertaining to the graphic design on a guitar made famous by a late heavy...more

Sunstein LLP

January 2019 IP Update - Digital Resale: Where New Technology Stumbles Over Old Law

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A purchaser of an article of commerce expects to be able to freely sell it regardless of any intellectual property rights that it may embody. The resale of digital files, however, runs into a special barrier that ReDigi...more

McDermott Will & Schulte

Hell 2 Da Naw Pay Up Statutory Damages Award

Addressing the proper procedure for electing statutory damages under the Copyright Act, the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed the district court, agreeing that the plaintiff had properly informed the court of...more

McDermott Will & Schulte

Second Circuit: No First Sale Doctrine for Reproduced Digital Files

Holding that reproduction of a digital file for purposes of resale does not fall under the “first sale” doctrine of the Copyright Act, the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed the district court’s grant of...more

Dorsey & Whitney LLP

The Second Circuit Shuts Down Application of First Sale Doctrine

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In a decision issued on December 12, 2018, the Second Circuit refused to recognize application of the first sale doctrine to a service that had been established as a marketplace for resale of digital music files. Under the...more

Dorsey & Whitney LLP

Stairway To Retrial: 9th Circuit Erases Jury Verdict in Favor of Led Zeppelin

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As it turns out, all that glitters is not gold. Or at least that’s probably how Led Zeppelin feels after the 9th Circuit overturned a shiny jury verdict in favor of the iconic British rock band....more

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