Lawsuits claim Amazon, Apple and more are streaming unlicensed music

When you walk into a bar, hotel or store, you probably hear music. The same goes for when you tune into a TV channel or radio station. Those businesses are supposed to pay royalties to the artists for using their music. Collection firms like Pro Musi...

Recommended Reading: The redesigned WWE Network

WWE Network 2.0: How WWE rebuilt its streaming service after a split with Disney Chris Welch, The Verge After a flashy reveal at CES a few years ago, the WWE Network is by all accounts a success, amassing well over a million subscribers by early 2...

Deezer’s new royalty system could be a big deal for smaller artists

Deezer wants to launch a payment structure that more fairly rewards creators for their music. If the company can get the necessary rights holders on board, it intends to launch a user-centric payment system (UCPS) as a pilot in France early next year...

UC Santa Barbara sues Amazon and IKEA over LED lighting

UC Santa Barbara has had enough of retailers selling its patented LED light bulb technology without authorization. This week, the university filed a lawsuit charging Amazon, IKEA, Walmart, Target and Bed Bath & Beyond with infringing its patents....

Spotify claims it ‘overpaid’ songwriters and wants its money back

Spotify and music publishers have been in a bit of a tiff for months over a planned royalty rate increase that would require streaming services to pay more to artists. You can bet the company is watching the numbers closely, especially while it appea...

Federal judge rules Qualcomm violated antitrust rules

Roughly five months after the Federal Trade Commission and Qualcomm entered the courtroom over charges that Qualcomm engaged in anti-competitive behavior, a federal judge has sided with the FTC. In a decision shared Tuesday night, US District Judge L...

Tidal under criminal investigation in Norway over ‘faked’ streams

High-fidelity music streaming service Tidal is under criminal investigation in Norway for allegedly inflating album streams for Beyoncé's Lemonade and Kanye West's The Life of Pablo. The alleged faking of streaming numbers was exposed last y...