In today's CMU Daily: Recent lawsuits highlight copyright pitfalls for labels and producers over stem ownership, with songwriter Jon Hume suing Universal Music over alleged unauthorised use of his stems in Dean Lewis track 'Be Alright'

One Liners: Bosworth Music signs Sofi Paez; Pitchfork's new Head of Editorial Content; Universal UK catalogue appointment; HYBE expands in Latin America; Disney+ BTS series; BBC Sounds mixtape show; Maximo Park election gig; new music from Eminem, AJ Tracey, Shanti Celeste

Also today: YouTube updates policies to allow takedown requests for AI-generated deepfakes; Young Thug trial indefinitely suspended over judge's controversial private meeting; Suno launches mobile app despite ongoing lawsuit from major labels 

Stem wars: recent lawsuits expose copyright pitfalls for labels and producers

A series of lawsuits have highlighted how critical it is for labels and producers to meticulously track and clarify ownership of any beats, stems or loops used in their releases. In particular, where elements of the track have come from third parties, it is essential to understand who created what and who owns the copyright.

The most recent case involves songwriter and producer Jon Hume, who is suing Universal Music over allegations that the Dean Lewis track ‘Be Alright’ contains stems that he created. They were used without his permission, he claims, after the label told him that his work was not going to be used in the final release. 

The dispute echoes similar recent cases, including 2Point9Records’ lawsuit against Sony Music’s Ministry Of Sound Recordings, producer Sébastien Graux’s claim against Feid and Universal Music, and a dispute between Dutch producer Noam Ofirand and Norwegian Frederik Øverlie.

No one disputes that Hume was involved in the writing of ‘Be Alright’ back in 2015 and, according to the MLC database, he has a 50% stake in the song copyright. 

He also created an original version of the track, playing all the instruments and adding Lewis’s vocals. He then provided that recording - and its constituent stems - to Lewis’s label. There was talk of Universal using his stems at one point, but he was ultimately told - before the record’s release in 2018 - that “we did not end up using any of Jon’s files in the final master”.

However, last year he discovered that more than half of the stems in the released version of ‘Be Alright’ were from his original recording, contradicting the assurances the label gave. 

His lawsuit states that Universal Music “have misappropriated the sounds embodied on the stems created by Jon Hume, their author”, and that his “creative contributions” to ‘Be Alright’ are “original and rise to a level of independent copyrightability”. Therefore the major is liable for copyright infringement.

There are parallels here to the recent lawsuit filed in the UK courts by indie 2Point9 Records against Sony Music’s Ministry Of Sound Recordings.

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ONE LINERS

Pitchfork, BTS, Maximo Park, Eminem + more

DEALS

Wise Music Group’s Bosworth Music has signed a publishing deal with pianist and composer Sofi Paez. Says Bosworth MD Michael Ohst, “Sofi Paez is a young and talented composer and artist who has impressed us from the very beginning. Her melodic approach and her interesting voice are charming and catchy. We are proud that she chose Bosworth as her partner of choice, and we look forward to supporting her and being a part of her continued artistic growth”. 

APPOINTMENTS 

Pitchfork has appointed a new Head Of Editorial Content, Mano Sundaresan, founder of the music blog No Bells. Earlier this year Pitchfork publisher Condé Nast announced a restructure that saw the music publication’s team merged with that of men’s magazine GQ, resulting in a number of job losses. Discussing the future direction of the website in an interview with Billboard, Sundaresan says, “Pitchfork at one point, before it got bigger, was very community-driven. I want to try and restore some of that feeling: getting back to being literally on the ground reporting about things, creating physical spaces for writers, whether that’s live events, readings, panels”. 

Hannah Neaves has been appointed sole President of Universal Music’s UK catalogue division, Universal Music Recordings. She was previously co-President alongside Azi Eftekhari. Music Week says that it “understands Eftekhari has now left the business”. 

RECORD LABELS

K-pop powerhouse HYBE is expanding its presence in Latin America via new offices in Mexico City, Miami and LA, according to Allkpop. HYBE Latin America will be led by CEO Jonghyun ‘JH’ Kah, General Manager Fernando Grediaga and COO Jeremy Norkin, and will operate a new label called Docemil Music. Says Grediaga, “HYBE Latin America’s goal is to build an inclusive company that promotes Latin American creativity and talent”. 

MEDIA 

Disney+ will next month launch a new series following BTS members Jungkook and Jimin as they travel to the US and Japan, and Jeju Island in South Korea. Filmed before both performers enlisted for military service at the end of last year, the show is called ‘Are You Sure?!’, because apparently their global travels were unplanned resulting in various situations where they ask each other “are you sure?” Seemingly nobody asked that question when choosing a title for the series. 

Clara Amfo and Rizzle Kicks’ Jordan Stephens are fronting a new programme on BBC Sounds called 'Make Me A Mixtape', in which the two presenters compete to create the ultimate mixtape based on a theme picked by a listener or celebrity guest. In the first two editions, which are already live, Amfo and Stephens attempt to compile the ultimate ‘End Of An Era’ and ‘Roadtrip’ mixtapes, the latter theme selected by Rachel Chinouriri.

GIGS & TOURS 

With the UK General Election now almost upon us, Maxïmo Park will play an election night show at The Star & Shadow Cinema in hometown Newcastle tomorrow evening, also raising money for the Newcastle West End Foodbank. Says the band’s Paul Smith, “We wanted to premiere some new songs in one of our favourite DIY venues in our hometown. We thought it would be fun to have an election theme, given the date, but, on a serious note, try to raise a bit of money for a local food bank, since the poorest in society have suffered the most under the current government”.

RELEASES

Eminem has released new single ‘Tobey’ in collaboration with BabyTron and Big Sean. His new album ‘The Death Of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce)’ is out on 12 Jul.

AJ Tracey has released new single ‘Bubble Bath’. 

Shanti Celeste has released new single ‘SLB’ in support of Palestinian Aid Charity Operation Olive Branch. Released via Bandcamp, the track will be available for a limited period until 12 Jul.

YouTube cracks down on AI deepfakes: new rules allow takedowns of unauthorised vocal clones

YouTube last month updated its policies to allow people to request the removal of videos where AI has been used to imitate their likeness or voice without permission. This change, first spotted by TechCrunch, enables users to file complaints through the platform’s privacy request process. 

The updated guidelines state: “If someone has used AI to alter or create synthetic content that looks or sounds like you, you can ask for it to be removed. In order to qualify for removal, the content should depict a realistic altered or synthetic version of your likeness”.

YouTube will consider several factors when assessing removal requests. Those considerations include whether or not the video’s creator has disclosed that the content is altered or synthetic; if the person making the complaint can be uniquely identified; and if the content is parody or satire, or has other “public interest value”.

Another key consideration will be “whether the content features a public figure or well-known individual engaging in a sensitive behaviour such as criminal activity, violence, or endorsing a product or political candidate”. 

According to TechCrunch, once a removal request has been filed, the creator will be alerted and have 48 hours to remove the content before YouTube’s review process begins. If they don’t delete the video and the review process decides that the complaint is valid, the video will be deleted. 

Young Thug trial derailed as judge’s controversial private meeting causes indefinite delay

The long drawn out criminal trial involving rapper Young Thug has been indefinitely suspended due to an ongoing dispute over a private meeting between judge Ural Glanville, representatives of the prosecution and a key witness. 

Defence lawyers argue that this meeting was improper and potentially unconstitutional, and are demanding that Glanville must recuse himself from the case, to allow a new judge to take over.

Young Thug, real name Jeffery Williams, is accused of co-founding a gang that went on to commit murders, shootings and carjackings, which he then bragged about in his tracks and music videos. 

He was charged in the US state of Georgia in May 2022 with numerous counts of racketeering. A total of 28 people were charged at that time in relation to the gang allegations, with the case against Williams and five others finally getting to trial last November. 

The case against has been particularly noteworthy within the music industry because of the use of Williams’ lyrics and creative output as evidence by the prosecution. 

This practice has been widely criticised by the music community, including Williams’ label partners Atlantic Records and 300 Entertainment, who argue that an artist’s creative output should never be used as evidence against them in court. 

Setlist podcast: AI lawsuit warns of “devastating impacts” on human creativity

In this week's Setlist Podcast: Chris Cooke and Andy Malt discuss the launch of the record industry’s first major lawsuits against music-generating AI companies - with the RIAA coordinating litigation against Suno and Udio - plus a group of songwriters are suing PRS. 

🎧 Click here to listen - or search for ‘Setlist Podcast’

Lawsuit? What lawsuit? Suno thumbs nose at majors as it launches mobile app

Suno,the music AI company recently sued by the major labels for copyright infringement, has launched its first mobile app. 

CEO Mikey Shulman announced the release, saying he is “THRILLED” to launch the app, while also bragging that Suno’s generative AI tool would now be “in your pocket wherever inspiration should strike”. Providing that you’re using an iPhone and you’re in the US that is - although an Android app and global rollout are both promised.

That’s also assuming that the litigation launched by the labels does not ultimately destroy the AI business. Although for now, ironically, the record industry’s legal action and the resulting media coverage has, if anything, provided something of a profile boost for Suno. Which is similar to what happened in the early 2000s when the labels started suing file-sharing platforms. 

In a blog post bigging up the launch, Shulman emphasises Suno’s ambitions, saying, “We’re on a mission to build a future where everyone can make and share music. We prize originality, both in how we build our product and in how people use it”.

In terms of what can be done with the iOS app, Suno says users can “make songs from text”, “record audio with your phone and turn it into a song” and “listen to and curate music you love from other creators”.