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Week In Review

By Jessie Schuster

Edited by Elissa D. Hecker


Entertainment

Supreme Court Opens Doors to Massive Copyright Infringement Damages in Case Against Warner Music

The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in an unprecedented case that open-ended recovery for damages of copyright infringement is permissible. Music producer Sherman Nealy has been pursuing over 10 years’ worth of damages from Flo Rida for using an unlicensed sample.  The decision could expand the scope of damages in cases in which plaintiffs were previously barred from recovering money for infringement that occurred more than three years before the filing of a lawsuit. the statute of limitations.


Federal Court Holds That Copyright Act Preempts X’s Web Scraping Claims

In Federal Court in CA dismissed the claim brought by X against Bright Data, a website that scaped and sold available data from the social media platform. The ruling is precedential as dozens over cases have been brought by social media platforms against AI and technology sites.


Spotify Fires Back at Music Publishers’ Legal Threat Over Alleged Lyrics Infringement, Calling it ‘False and Misleading’

After receiving a letter from the NMPA containing legal threats regarding unlicensed work, Spotify is firing back, calling the move by NMPA a “press stunt.”


Travis Scott and Live Nation Couldn’t Settle Every Astroworld Lawsuit – Case Involving 9-Year Old Victim Now Slated for September

Almost 3 years following the tragic Astroworld concert that left 10 fans dead, Travis Scott and Live Nation are still working to settle lawsuits. One incident involving the death of a 9-year-old concert goer has yet to be settled, and will be taking the parties to court in a civil case scheduled for this September.


Lucian Grange and UMG Dropped from Diddy Accuser’s Lawsuit

Sir Lucian Grange and his label, Universal Music Group (UMG), have been dismissed from Diddy’s lawsuit that alleged Grange and UMG “aided and abetted” Diddy’s abuse.


Lawsuit Over Kanye West’s King Crimson Sample in 2010 Track ‘Power’ Settles Ahead of Trial

Just before Declan Colgan Music Ltd was set to stand trial against UMG, claiming Kanye West illegally sampled a song owned by Colgan, the suit was settled in an undisclosed agreement.


Appeals Court Upholds Childish Gambino Victory in ‘This is America’ Copyright Infringement Case

Donald Glover AKA Childish Gambino can finally put the 3- year legal battle over his song “This Is America” behind him, as an appeals court has upheld the ruling in his favor against Kidd Wes, who claimed Glover infringed on his copyrights of the song “Made In America.”


Founder of Hipgnosis Songs Fund Accuses Ex-Partner Over Failed Business

Hipgnosis Songs Fund (HSF), a company responsible for buying music rights in order to profit from revenue streams and owner of songs from stars, including Blondie and Justin Bieber, has been dissolved and is now set to be taken over by Blackstone private equity. A founder of HSF is suing one of his former partners in a £ 200M suit, claiming the idea and failure for the company rests in his hands as he acted fraudulently.


At the Home of BTS, Turmoil Over a Rising K-Pop Star

Developer of K-Pop band NewJeans is facing backlash after releasing a video that contained zero K-Pop traits, excluding even stars of the band.


Roman Polanski: French Court Acquits Director of Defamation

A French court acquitted the director Roman Polanski from a defamation suit brought by a 56-year-old actress who accused him of raping her over 40 years ago when she was a teen. When the director told the press that the actress lied about the assaults, she sued for defamation.


Acclaimed Iranian Film Director Flees Country After Jail Sentence

Mohammad Rasoulof fled to Europe after being sentenced to 8 years in prison for criticizing Iranian authoritarian rulers in his films.


Arts

What Do You Do When AI Takes Your Voice?

A pair of voice actors was unsure what to do when they heard exact clones of their own voices used to discuss the Russian-Ukraine war. The actors found out that their voices were used to train AI bots, and now with an increased number of people suing AI companies for the same reason, attorneys and voice actors alike are doing all they can to protect voices and careers.


Does ‘The Lion King’ Need a $3 Million Tax Break?

Broadway shows are being aided by a state tax-credit program following the hit the industry took during the COVID pandemic, but 4 years from the start of Broadway shutdowns, the question is being raised of whether majorly successful shows still need a multi-million dollar tax break.


Dance Through the Halls of the Louvre and Yoga Classes on Offer Throughout Paris 2024

The infamous Louvre will be partaking in Olympic activities as visitors are able to take dance and yoga classes in the halls that are home to the world’s most famous artwork. This is part of a concentrated effort to bring Parisians into the hallowed halls.


Sports

Transgender Athlete Ban in a Long Island County is Struck Down in Court

After Nassau County banned transgender women from playing on women’s sports teams in the county, a judge ruled that the county had no authority to make that decision.


Ahead of Olympics, World Anti-Doping Agency Faces a Trust Crisis         

With the upcoming Paris Olympic games approaching, the anti-doping agency that is responsible for keeping the Olympics a drug-free environment is facing allegations that positive drug tests of Chinese swimmers has been covered up by the organization.


Court Rules in Favor of IOC’s Use of Olympic Village Trademark in Philippines

The Philippines Court of Appeals has upheld a decision ruling against a local sports store that used the  Olympic Village mark.


IOC Approves Five Additional Sports for LA 2028, but Boxing Is Back on Hold

The International Olympic Committee Executive Board approved cricket, baseball, softball, flag football, lacrosse, and squash to join the LA 2028 Olympics.


Media & Technology

TikTok and ByteDance Officially Sue to Block ‘Obviously Unconstitutional’ Ban – A Divestiture ‘Is Simply Not Possible’

A TikTok ban has been in talks for months, and now the social media platform, along with its parent company, is suing to block the ban as unconstitutional.


On Instagram, A Jewelry Ad Draws Solicitations for Sex With a 5-Year-Old

An Instagram account that targeted women with photos of a 5-year-old girl wearing a charm bracelet for children contacted the New York Times (NYT) in concern when they realized their ads were instead being mostly viewed by adult men. The NYT investigated this phenomenon to find that algorithms are directing children’s ads towards being sexualized by accounts owned by adult men.


Chinese Woman Jailed for Reporting on Covid is Set to Be Freed

Zhang Zhan, a Chinese woman who was allegedly the first person to be prisoned for reporting on the coronavirus during its earliest days,  had been scheduled for release in the past week.  


General News

At Justice Alito’s House, a ‘Stop the Steal’ Symbol on Display

While the Supreme Court questioned whether to take on an election case, Justice Alito’s home flag pole flew an upside down American flag, a symbol that was adopted by supporters of former President Trump.


Election Updates: Biden and Trump Agree to Debates in June and September

The current and former presidents have agreed to take the stage together in the upcoming months as the 2024 presidential election quickly approaches.


Cohen Tells Jurors of Oval Office Deal to Pay Back the Hush Money

During Donald Trump’s ongoing hush money trial, his former attorney Michael Cohen revealed the details of a meeting that occurred in the Oval Office, which initiated the payments made to Cohen to reimburse him for the hush money he paid to Stormy Daniels.


Tensions Boil Over as Michael Cohen, Trump Attorney Spar During Cross-Exam

During Michael Cohen’s cross-examination, the tension between Trump’s former attorney and his current defense attorney was apparent both in the court room and on TV screens across the country.


Judge Blocks New U.S. Rule Limiting Credit Card Late Fees

A new rule that would arguably save households billions in “junk fees” by caping fees on late credit card payments has been blocked by a federal judge who deemed the rule unconstitutional.


What the Supreme Court Ruling Means for Other Consumer Bureau Actions

After the Supreme Court upheld a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s funding mechanism, upcoming court cases will likely follow similar outcomes, but not without a number of legal battles.


Civilian Prosecutors Rejected Evidence in 9/11 Case That Military Calls Crucial

It has been revealed that when the men who admitted to planning the devastating 9/11 attacks were set to stand trial, prosecutors failed to offer the admission statements as evidence. While some find this to be a drastic decision, others consider the question of whether “the men accused of plotting [the attacks] voluntarily confessed in 2007 after the CIA had stopped torturing them, and could those statements be used as evidence at their eventual death-penalty trial.”


Menendez’s Bribery Trial Puts Scrutiny on His Motives and His Marriage

Senator Robert Menendez’s wife has been charged along with her husband for meddling in criminalities in order to receive payments in gold.


Exclusion of Jewish Jurors Prompts Review of California Death Row Cases

After it has been revealed that Jews were purposefully excluded from the jury of a 90’s murder case in California, the question of whether juries are being picked based on race, religion or ethnicity is being raised.


His Dreadlocks Shaved by Prison Guards, Rastafarian Man Turns to Supreme Court

A federal appeals court decided that a Rastafarian man could not sue prison guards for shaving the man’s dreadlocks, but the court did mention that the man’s religious freedom was violated in a way that was so “stark and egregious.”


Texas Governor Pardons Former U.S. Army Sergeant Convicted of Murdering Protester

A former Army Sergeant responsible for murdering a Black Lives Matter protestor has been pardoned by the Texas Governor, who said that the convicted man was upholding the state’s stand-your-ground laws.


David DePape Sentenced to 30 Years in Hammer Attack on Ex-Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Husband

The man responsible for attacking Nancy Pelosi’s husband with a hammer during an attempted kidnap was sentenced to 30 years in prison.


Former Trump Attorney John Eastman Pleads Not Guilty in Arizona Election Interference Case

After an indictment last month, John Eastman becomes one of the charged Trump allies to plead not guilty in the ongoing election interference cases.

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