Kesha files appeal in renewed bid to be cut free from Dr Luke and Sony
Legal reps for Kesha have filed their appeal over the court ruling last month that denied the singer an injunction that would have allowed her to release records with another label while her litigation against producer Dr Luke slowly goes through the motions.

As much previously reported, the court hearing that considered Kesha Sebert's injunction request put her long-running legal battle with Lukasz Gottwald much more into the media and social media spotlight, putting pressure on both the producer and his business partner Sony Music to cut the singer free from her contractual obligations, despite their court win.

Sebert accuses Gottwald of plying her with drugs and alcohol and raping her as a teenager. He denies all of those allegations, and has sued both the singer and her mother for defamation, saying that the accusations were invented in a bid to force his hand in a contractual dispute.

The singer's supporters say that the legal battle has put her career on hold indefinitely, to the point that it could destroy her chances of future success in music. With her litigation not due in court until some time next year, the injunction would have allowed the singer to work with another producer and another label in the short term, so that she can continue making and releasing music while waiting for her day in court.

As previously reported, the judge considering the injunction request said that interfering in Sebert's past agreements with Gottwald's companies, including his Sony Music imprint Kemosabe would set a dangerous precedent. Moreover, she was convinced that an offer by Sony to allow Sebert to record with a different producer and label within the major music group was a suitable compromise.

Sebert's chief attorney Mark Geragos called that offer "illusory", arguing that it would be impossible to assure that Gottwald would not have some kind of overseer role, while adding that his client feared that any record produced under Sony's proposed compromise would not be promoted properly on release, because the major's loyalties lie with the producer. In papers filed yesterday, Sebert's reps again noted that Sony's proposed compromise had a big influence on the judge. But, the appeal argues, that proposal wasn't workable or ethical.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the lawyers write: "The court erred in basing its decision on its finding that Kesha could record without interference from Gottwald. Although it recognised that 'slavery was done away with a long time ago' and that 'you can't force someone to work ... in a situation in which they don't want to work', the court's ruling requiring Kesha to work for Gottwald's companies, purportedly without his involvement, does just that".

The appeal goes on to argue that any harm caused to Sony Music in the short term by granting the injunction could be compensated for down the line if Sebert's legal action against Gottwald is ultimately unsuccessful. The court didn't explain, say the lawyers, why this fact didn't overcome concerns about interfering in Sony and Kemosabe's contracts.

Says the appeal: "The court did not explain, nor could it, why any potential harm to Sony Music could not adequately be compensated by money damages if it were to prevail in the litigation. Indeed, Sony Music, Gottwald, and all the related entities are each free to make music (and money) with other young talent. In the event they prevail in the litigation, they can recover money damages from Kesha for her breach of contract".

As also previously reported, Sony Music has responded to the increased public pressure to cut Sebert free from her contractual commitments by insisting that it isn't in a position to unilaterally act in that way because the singer's contracts are with Gottwald's companies, which in turn have agreements with the major. So it isn't a direct party to the contracts Sebert's supporters want to see torn up.

Meanwhile, Gottwald continues to deny all the allegations against him, and seems keen to continue with the legal fight. Responding to the appeal filing, the producer's legal rep Christine Lepera is quoted by THR as saying: "The court repeatedly stated Kesha was already free to record without Dr Luke, and that she had not presented any facts supporting her claims. That's because all the evidence - including Kesha's own sworn testimony - show her allegations are false".

She goes on: "Her attorneys can continue manufacturing even more false and outrageous claims, but the fact remains that her time would be better spent in a studio than wasting time having her lawyer and mother spin lies in the media".

Russian rights group proposes banning all talk of circumventing web-blocks
While Russian courts and copyright laws haven't always been too helpful to the music industry - see the bulging file marked "vKontakte" - some reforms to the copyright regime in the country have pandered to the interests of rights owners, and some new proposals on the table would introduce anti-piracy rules more draconian than in the West.

The process of web-blocking is currently being reviewed by Russian lawmakers, with rights owners seeking legislative changes that would help overcome some of the weaknesses of what has become a preferred anti-piracy tactic in a number of countries.

Web-blocking, of course, is where a court orders an internet service provider to stop its customers from accessing a copyright infringing website. A key weakness of the system is that it's pretty easy to circumvent the blockades, with a mere Google search often helping users to access blocked sites.

One of the proposals put forward by the Russian music industry is that web-block injunctions should have enough flexibility so that when site X is blocked, and someone immediately sets up proxy Y to help users circumvent the blockade, the original injunction should immediately apply to proxy Y too, without the need for new legal action by rights owners. Such flexibility is already available in some other jurisdictions.

However, the book industry repping AZAPO - last seen trying to get a web-block injunction against the aforementioned vKontakte - has a more radical proposal: outlawing web pages that explain to users the various techniques that can be employed to get round a blockade. And, according to Torrentfreak, a paper from AZAPO proposing such a move has been approved by Russia's media and telecoms regulator Rozkomnadzor.

The proposal isn't entirely new, in that rights owners have, in the past, attempted to use copyright law to target those who overtly educate others in how to infringe copyright. In a famous Australian case in early 1980s, a publisher was unsuccessfully sued by the record industry over an article on home taping. Meanwhile, more recently, record labels prevailed in a French case over a magazine that had published a guide to file-sharing techniques.

Though AZAPO's proposals would seemingly go much further than that, with anyone publishing information on how to circumvent a web-block - including on a message board - risking a fine for doing so. Which, of course, would constitute intellectual property rights very much infringing of free speech rights, which is always a tricky area. Even in Russia.

There is also the issue of how any such ban would be policed. Who would do the fining and how do you overcome jurisdiction issues? Russia's internet industry will definitely oppose the proposals, with such logistical questions no doubt at the heart of their argument.

So it remains to be seen if the proposals from AZAPO - which is certainly becoming one of the more radical bodies representing rights owners - actually make their way into legislative plans in the Russian parliament.

The Orchard launches mobile-friendly analytics service
Distribution business The Orchard has announced the launch of a new mobile analytics application, which is a 'mobile-optimised version' of the company's existing stats platform, meaning labels distributing music via the firm can get label and release-level data about streams, downloads and user-generated content matches on the go. All you need is an account, a phone, an internet connection and the inclination. Easy.

"The Orchard clients have experienced a robust dashboard and full digital transparency for a decade", says Brad Navin, CEO of the Sony Music-owned distributor. "Analytics and data remain core to our value proposition and our clients depend heavily on this real-time information. We are proud to offer portable and detailed insights to our clients in an intuitive and first-of-its-kind mobile application".

The company's CTO JP Lester then chipped in: "The message from our clients has been loud and clear - fast and accurate analytics are becoming increasingly critical to informing key business decisions. Our team has responded by delivering a solid first step in this product which not only caters to that need, but also lays a solid foundation for us to build upon as we watch our data volumes continue to grow exponentially".

Spotify passes 30 million paid subscribers, updates mobile ad platform
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek yesterday confirmed that Spotify had passed the milestone of 30 million paying subscribers. And he did so with a nonchalant, 'oh was that a thing people were wondering about?' sort of tweet.

Retweeting a photograph of Barrack Obama arriving in Cuba for the first US presidential visit there since the country's 1959 revolution, Ek wrote: "We have 30 million Spotify subscribers, but none of them are in Cuba... yet. So cool to see Cuba opening up!"

I think everyone can agree that one of the first things people in Cuba are going to need once trade restrictions are fully lifted are premium Spotify accounts. Well done Daniel for highlighting their plight.

Anyway, now that he's made this all about him, let's carry on running through the numbers. It had been rumoured recently that Spotify was getting closer to the 30 million premium subscriber milestone. The last time figures were announced, it was 20 million last June. Before that it was fifteen million in January 2015. And that, kids, means that Spotify is converting users to paid accounts at an increasing rate, despite Apple Music.

The other rumour going around is that Spotify's total active user count - ie premium plus freemium - has now reached 100 million. However, at an event on the streaming service's Discover Weekly feature at the Convergence festival in London on Saturday, reps for the company were sticking firmly to the official 75 million figure announced last June. Which either means that Spotify has lost a lot of free users since then or they were lying. FYI, they were lying. But hey, they made that Discover Weekly thing, so we'll forgive them.

Sticking with Spotify's freeloading users, Spotify has announced an update to the way it serves adverts to them on its mobile apps. The company yesterday announced the launch of Overlay Mobile, an extension of the existing Overlay ad option on its desktop software. The adverts pop up when a user returns to the software, and on mobile apps will stay put until dismissed by the user.

The company has also added 100 new interest groups for advertisers to use for targeting their adverts to US Spotify users. According to Mobile Marketing Daily, the new groups include things you'd think were already covered, like 'moviegoers', 'car buyers', 'luxury shoppers', and 'sports fans'.

Lambeth's David Bowie mural to be listed
A mural of David Bowie in Lambeth that became a shrine to the musician following his death is to be granted listed status. As well as protecting the artwork, the local council is considering renaming Tunstall Place where it is situated.

Lambeth Council leader Lib Peck said in a statement: "It is ultimately the family's decision as to what may be appropriate [regarding renaming the street]. We must respect that and be patient. Lambeth residents have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of affection visibly demonstrated by floral tributes, messages and people visiting the Bowie mural to pay their respects to this unique 'Brixton boy'".

"We are also in contact with the Bowie fan club and other Brixton organisations who want to honour the memory and legacy of this extraordinary artist", she continued. "We will share any word we get from his family that will determine what we do next".

The council's street cleaning team has been maintaining the floral tributes that sit around a mural since Bowie's death in January. However, these will be removed next week. Morleys departments store, upon whose wall the mural is painted, has committed to preserve messages written on the wall, while items such as drawings and cards will be stored in the council archives.

No word yet on whether a mural in Sheffield will receive similar protection.

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Prince to publish memoir
Prince is writing his autobiography, which should be an interesting read. It will, according to its publisher, Random House's Speigel & Grau, be "an unconventional and poetic journey through his life and creative work". He's not finished writing it yet though, so that might not be true.

The musician first announced that he was working on the book with The Paris Review's Dan Piepenbring at a small show in New York last week. "The good people of Random House have made me an offer that I can't refuse", he told the audience, according to the New York Times. "You all still read books, right?"

Of working with Peipenberg, he added: "He's a good critic. That's what I need. He's not a yes man at all. We're starting right at the beginning - my first memory - and hopefully we can move all the way to the Super Bowl'.

That would take us all the way to 2007, assuming he means his Super Bowl half time performance, and not just watching this year's sporting event on TV.

In a statement, Spiegel & Grau Executive Editor Chris Jackson said: "Prince is a towering figure in global culture and his music has been the soundtrack for untold numbers of people - including me - for more than a generation; his creative genius has provided the musical landscape of our lives. Millions of words have been written about Prince - books and articles, essays and criticism - but we're THRILLED to be publishing Prince's powerful reflections on his own life in his own incandescently vivid, witty, and poetic voice".

Tentatively titled 'The Beautiful Ones', the book is due to be published next year.

The Cribs announce Leeds homecoming show
The Cribs have announced a big old homecoming show at Millennium Square in Leeds on 22 Jul. The open air show, which will also feature performances from Thurston Moore, Pulled Apart By Horses and Menace Beach, will, they promise, be "the Cribs show to end all Cribs shows".

Announcing the gig, the band said on Facebook: "Over the last couple of years, whenever someone asked us when we would be playing in Leeds again, we always said that we were saving something special for our hometown show - after the Cribsmas shows of 2007 and 2013 we got to the point where we didn't feel like we could just show up and play a regular show. We felt an obligation and expectation to come back and try to top those gigs".

"The idea that we kept coming back to, was to curate and stage our own mini-festival, with bands and artists that we love, and put it in the centre of Leeds in the open air", they continued. "Just like the original Cribsmas, we wanted this to be the kind of show that people feel is worth traveling for - where Cribs fans old and new can stage meet-ups and reunions and all converge in the same place. That was a big part of the magic of those original gigs, so that intangible feeling is something that we have been looking to capture again ever since".

"So there you have it", they concluded. "This is what everything has been building towards: The Cribs show to end all Cribs shows. This is gonna be our Live Aid/Wembley 86/Reading 92/Spike Island/Knebworth (delete as applicable). It's been three years in the making, and finally everything has come together. A summer's night out under the stars in our favourite town, with our favourite artists, and hopefully all of our favourite people (you guys, of course)".

Tickets for the show will go on sale tomorrow.

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We Are Scientists announce UK tour
We Are Scientists will be in the UK in April and May to play some shows in the wake of the release of their fifth studio album, 'Helter Selzer', on 22 Apr.

Commenting on the shows, frontman Keith Murray said: "I'm excited to bust these new songs out for the UK fans. I worry about them when we're gone - many of them have a damn hard time taking care of themselves".

Bassist Chris Cain added: "It's always great to get back in the venue, since playing music is fun. Of course, everything is fun - eating dinner, going to movies, operating a motor vehicle. It's all great, but certainly music is right up there".

It certainly is. Here are those dates:

24 Apr: Bristol, Bierkeller
25 Apr: Nottingham, Rescue Rooms
26 Apr: Newcastle, Riverside
27 Apr: Birmingham, Library
29 Apr: Leicester, Handmade Festival
30 Apr: Live At Leeds Festival
1 May: Glasgow, Stag & Dagger Festival
3 May: Manchester, Academy 2
4 May: London, Koko
5 May: Brighton, Concorde 2

Sony Red, AIM, Radiohead, more

Other notable announcements and developments today...

• Sony Music's label services business Red has a new VP of Promotion & Artist Development over there in the US of A. Sony has nabbed Trina Tombrink from Universal's Republic Records, though they nabbed her from Sony's Columbia Records eight years ago, so it probably serves them right.

• The Association Of Independent Music is launching a new series of events under the banner AIM Academy, kicking off with a masterclass from Hospital Records chief Chris Goss and Virgin EMI business affairs guy Mark Furman tomorrow. But it's already sold out, so I don't really know why I'm telling you.

• The new Radiohead album is "a work of art", their longtime artwork collaborator Stanley Donwood has told DIY. Albeit a work of art that is not yet finished.

• Biffy Clyro will release new album, 'Ellipsis', on 8 Jul. They've also announced that they'll play a big outdoor show at Bellahouston Park in Glasgow in 27 Aug. Here's a trailer for the album.

• Mike Posner will release his new studio album, 'At Night, Alone', on 6 May. It features that single, 'I Took A Pill In Ibiza'. Other songs may or may not be called 'My Dad's Harder Than Your Dad', 'Yeah I Do Have A Girlfriend, She Doesn't Live Near Here', and 'I Drank 73 Pints Last Night'.

• Speech Debelle is back with a new single, 'The Work', featuring Miss Baby Sol. Listen here.

• The very cool Specific Recordings has announced that its latest release will be 'Noisy Killer' by Hatsune Kaidan - a covers album recorded by noise band Bijokaidan with vocals from virtual popstar Hatsune Miku. Listen to the album here.

• Fetty Wap will be playing two live dates in the UK in May. You can catch him at the Insitute in Birmingham on 27 May and then the Hammersmith Apollo in London on 29 May.

• Sumac, fronted by former Isis member Aaron Turner, will release their debut album, 'The Deal', through Thrill Jockey on 10 Jun. Here's first single, 'Rigid Man'.

• At The Drive In begin a new tour tonight. They just remembered that guitarist Jim Ward has quit and won't be joining them.

• Sarah Blasko has announced UK tour dates in May, kicking off with a show at Union Chapel in London on 10 May. Tickets are on sale now, the full list of dates is here.

• Ekkah will play Oslo in Hackney on 17 Apr. Go along, why don't you.

• The fifth edition of the 'Rumble In The Jumble' charity jumble sale takes place at Hackney's Oval Space on 14 May. Before that, you can also get the ball rolling by bidding for two gold palm trees from Paloma Faith's stage set.

Bloc distances itself from co-founder's anti-young people stance
Bloc has distanced itself from an article written by co-founder George Hull for The Spectator, in which he accused young people today of being "too safe and boring". The article came after the final ever Bloc festival earlier this month.

As previously reported, Bloc announced in February that this year's festival would be the last, with plans to focus on developing a new club and studio space in London. In his article, Hull claimed that the reason for winding up the weekender events was that "young people these days just don't know how to rave. They are too safe and boring".

"Under the hipsters' watch, dance music has become tedious and diluted", he added. "A monstrous cabal of overpaid circuit DJs titillating a precious and unimaginative bunch of wimpy pseudo-hedonists at a carefully designed 'safe space'. In broad daylight. If that's your idea of raving, you can keep it. I'm out".

In a statement posted on Twitter yesterday afternoon, Bloc said: "Bloc is a collective. One guy from it wrote an article, and that doesn't represent Bloc. Bloc extends a welcoming vibe to everyone who comes together to share in the experience. The vibe at every single rave, big or small, over the past ten years is testament to that. The kind of people who choose to go is testament to that".

Of this year's festival, they added: "We were blown away by the crowd at this year's weekender and want to sincerely thank you all".

So, there you go young people, I think you just about got away with it. But just to be on the safe side, you'd best mark yourselves with one of these t-shirts.