YouTube Cites Terms of Service in AI Music Lawsuit; Lionel Richie Trademarks Voice

Google's YouTube platform has introduced a new argument in a lawsuit concerning AI music companies. In court filings last week, lawyers for the tech giant contended that a case filed by indie artists and songwriters should be dismissed. They assert that YouTube’s terms of service provide the company with “a broad license to use the uploaded content,” which, they argue, "authorized the conduct alleged" by AI models exploiting copyrighted songs without explicit permission.

In a move to protect his artistic assets, Lionel Richie has applied for trademarks on his voice, specifically including his iconic song lyric, “Hello, is it me you’re looking for?” This initiative aims to safeguard his voice against potential AI cloning, aligning him with other prominent artists taking similar legal steps.

Sean “Diddy” Combs recently secured a legal victory with the dismissal of another civil lawsuit. This particular case was filed by a winner of MTV’s "Making the Band," who had alleged harassment and assault.

Other notable legal developments in the music industry include:

Federal prosecutors have accused a North Carolina man of defrauding the latest iteration of Napster by falsely pledging $3.36 billion he reportedly did not possess.

CBS entered into a licensing agreement to prevent legal issues after Stephen Colbert played copyrighted "Peanuts" music during a taping of "The Late Show."

A long-running lawsuit against Ricky Martin, related to a song released for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, was reactivated by a federal appeals court nearly 12 years after its initial filing.

The composers of the University of Michigan’s “Let’s Go Blue” song filed counterclaims in a legal dispute with their publisher regarding its use in EA’s College Football video games.

Pooh Shiesty has been assigned a February 2027 trial date in a criminal case where he is accused of forcing Gucci Mane to sign a record deal release at gunpoint.

50 Cent’s attorney faced scrutiny from New York appeals court judges while arguing for the star to automatically win a lawsuit he filed against an ex-girlfriend.

Lil Baby’s hemp company is facing counterclaims after initiating a lawsuit that accused its joint venture partner of shipping illegal and contaminated cannabis products.

Chris Brown reached a settlement to exit a lawsuit alleging he withheld royalties from a co-writer of his 2022 track “Monalisa” and 2023 song “Sensational.”

An artist has withdrawn a lawsuit accusing Quavo of violating copyright law by rapping in front of a quartz sculpture of a 1961 Ferrari in a TikTok promo video.

According to Billboard, these stories were featured in its weekly Legal Beat newsletter.