This is The Legal Beat, a weekly music law newsletter from Billboard Pro, bringing you a one-stop cheat sheet of big new cases, landmark decisions and all the fun stuff in between.
This week: Sony Music files lawsuit claiming Whitney Houston biopic didn't pay to use her songs. One of Kanye's new songs is being pulled from streamers after accusations of copyright infringement. A federal judge orders Cam'ron to pay a photographer for using a picture of himself. and many more.
THE BIG STORY: Was the Whitney Houston movie out of sync?
If you're going to make a music biopic, it's important to sign a sync licensing agreement. But it doesn't mean much unless you actually pay for it.
In a lawsuit filed last week, Sony Music Entertainment accused the producers of the 2022 biopic Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody to do just that. More than a year after the film's release, the company says it hasn't been paid a single penny for the use of more than 20 songs like “I Will Always Love You.”
Music biographies are big business – in 2018 Bohemian Rhapsody earned more than $900 million at the box office and Baz Luhrmann's 2022 Elvis it made $288 million. But as we noted in this space a few weeks ago, they present a unique challenge that doesn't exist for a real-life movie: you essentially have to ensure the ability to play the star's music. Question.
In last week's lawsuit, Sony pointed to this potential: “Unlike other types of films, music biopics by their very nature require the use of the musician's music, as it is nearly impossible to explain the significance of the creative genius or unique musical style and talent without the use of the musician's music'.
Then what happened to me? Do you want to dance? Read the full story here, including access to the actual lawsuit filed by Sony Music.
Other top stories this week…
KANY SONG TRAVELED – Kanye West's track “Good (Don't Die)” has been removed from Spotify and other platforms after the estate of legendary singer Donna Summer claimed the song contained an unauthorized interlude of her 1977 hit “I Feel Love.” Ye's album itself, Vultures 1it was also briefly pulled from digital platforms due to a dispute with the original distributor – but still debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
CAM'RON'S CAM WRONG – A federal judge has ordered Cam'ron to pay a photographer more than $50,000 for using her photo — a famous shot of the Dipset rapper wearing a fuzzy pink coat and hat while holding a matching phone — in a line of merchandise without permission. He is just the latest in a long list of celebrities who have faced costly legal action for using copyrighted images of themselves without paying the photographer.
CASE DISMISSED – Roddy Ricch has won a ruling from a federal judge tossing out a copyright lawsuit that claimed the rapper stole key elements of his 2019 hit “The Box” from a 1975 track called “Come On Down.” The judge said Ricch's song had “significant dissimilarities” from the previous tune – a common pattern in the hip-hop world – and that “no reasonable jury” would call Ric an infringer.
RUSSELL SIMMONS CATEGORIES – The embattled music mogul has been hit with a new lawsuit over allegations he raped a former Def Jam video producer in the 1990s, the latest in a long list of allegations of public abuse by Simmons. Days later, the Def Jam founder was sued in a second civil case — this time by a previous abuse accuser (former record executive Drew Dixon) over allegations that Simmons defamed her by saying during a December interview that she lied about the charges against him. .
SUSPECT MINDS? – Priscilla Presley is facing a lawsuit alleging she illegally turned her back on a former business partner named Brigitte Kruse, who she claims helped Elvis Presley's ex-wife “flee from impending financial ruin” and was instrumental in the recent Priscilla movie made. Presley's lawyer tells a different story, saying that Priscilla rightfully broke up with Cruz after discovering serious financial wrongdoing.
DANCE DANCE RESOLUTION – Fortnite The owner of Epic Games has reached a settlement to end a lawsuit filed by celebrity choreographer Kyle Hanagami that claimed the gamemaker turned his dance moves into a lucrative “emote” that Fortnite players could buy. The settlement with Hanagami, who has worked with BTS, Jennifer Lopez, Justin Bieber and Britney Spears, came months after a federal appeals court issued a first-of-its-kind ruling that allowed the case to move toward a scheduled trial this spring. .
GLORIA TREVI CASE EXPLANATION – Mexican pop star Gloria Trevi faces a complicated legal battle over renewed allegations of serious sexual abuse by her former manager Sergio Andrade – claims she vehemently denies claiming she too was a victim of his abuse. To inform you, Advertising sign Editor-in-Chief Griselda Flores has put together a detailed timeline of Trevi's legal troubles – read it here.
