The 10 Biggest Music Law Stories of 2025 - What Counsel Should Act On
2025 forced music law to answer hard questions. AI moved from theory to negotiated terms, megastars tested the limits of defamation and criminal exposure, and antitrust took center stage in live events. Here's what mattered - and where to focus in 2026.
1. AI Deals, Voice Cloning, and Training Data: The New IP Battleground
AI-powered artists posted big numbers, then ran into ownership questions. A viral act (HAVEN.) stalled amid allegations of deepfaked vocals that echoed Jorja Smith's voice. Meanwhile, the major labels cut headline settlements with Suno and Udio that add opt-in consent, licensing fees for training data, and a "walled garden" approach to outputs.
These deals hint at the template: consent, compensation, and controls. The fight shifts to definitions (training vs. tuning), audit rights, and what "opt-in" means in practice. Expect more voice and likeness claims routed through right-of-publicity and unfair competition theories, plus tighter label-artist clauses on synthetic vocals.
- Action: Update recording, producer, and feature agreements to require disclosure and consent for AI-generated vocals, cloning, and training use. Add audit and takedown cooperation.
- Action: Build a playbook for DMCA, right-of-publicity, and platform policy takedowns targeting voice clones and derivative outputs.
- Primer: For teams leveling up on model training and product trends, see this AI course roundup.
2. Diddy's Criminal Trial: Partial Convictions, Full-Fledged Fallout
After an eight-week trial, a jury acquitted on the most serious sex trafficking and racketeering charges but convicted on two prostitution counts. A four-year sentence followed; an appeal and dozens of civil suits remain.
- Action: Review morals clauses, insurance, and indemnity in talent, sponsorship, and JV agreements; confirm rights on suspension, termination, and clawbacks during parallel proceedings.
- Action: Coordinate criminal-civil strategy (discovery overlap, Fifth Amendment issues, and public statements) to limit collateral exposure.
3. Jay-Z Counters With Defamation and Extortion Claims
After allegations tying him to the Diddy litigation were dropped, he sued the accuser and her lawyer for defamation and extortion. A Los Angeles case was dismissed; an appeal is pending, and claims continue in Alabama federal court.
- Action: Prepare for forum shopping and anti-SLAPP variations across states. Lock down evidence, privilege, and litigation comms protocols early.
4. Drake's Defamation Suit Over a Diss Track Gets Tossed
Drake sued UMG over Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us," claiming defamation. A federal judge dismissed, calling the "pedophile" line rhetorical hyperbole in a heated rap battle, not a factual assertion. Appeal likely.
- Action: Reassess defamation risk for lyrical content versus press statements. Consider contract-based remedies (non-disparagement, publicity controls) rather than tort claims that amplify the dispute.
5. Spotify Faces "Modern Payola" and Bot-Fraud Claims
One suit targets Discovery Mode and editorial placement as deceptive pay-for-play. Another alleges widespread streaming fraud benefiting top artists, siphoning a finite royalty pool. Spotify disputes both.
- Action: For labels and distributors, tighten warranties on artificial streaming, add clawbacks, and require platform cooperation on fraud data.
- Action: For platforms, enhance disclosures around promotional programs and keep contemporaneous evidence of fraud-prevention measures.
6. Song Theft Continues: More Suits, Bigger Stakes
Lawsuits hit Lizzo, Rauw Alejandro, Bad Bunny, Ye, and Travis Scott, among others. Two headline matters moved forward: Miley Cyrus' "Flowers" survived dismissal, and the Sam Smith/Normani "Dancing With a Stranger" case heads to a jury.
- Action: Bake clearance checks into production timelines. Paper producer deliverables and indemnities. Use proactive musicology reviews for high-visibility releases.
7. Mariah Carey Wins - And Recovers Fees
The "All I Want for Christmas Is You" case collapsed. A judge found only seasonal clichés in common and ordered the plaintiff to pay fees for pursuing frivolous arguments.
- Action: Don't over-plead. Use early filtration analysis (scènes à faire, commonplace elements) to target Rule 12 or Rule 56 wins, and preserve fee-shifting arguments.
8. Termination Rights Go Global? And Salt-N-Pepa v. UMG
A Louisiana ruling suggested U.S. termination rights apply worldwide, triggering concern over treaties and cross-border deals. On a separate front, Salt-N-Pepa sued UMG, arguing they're entitled to reclaim their masters; UMG relies on original deal terms.
- Action: Inventory catalog dates against the 35-year clock under 17 U.S.C. § 203. Model renegotiation options and reissue plans under multiple jurisdictional outcomes.
- Action: Stress-test "work made for hire," grant language, foreign assignment chains, and notice requirements. Prepare fallbacks if the global theory sticks on appeal.
9. Live Nation vs. DOJ, Plus FTC BOTS Act Case
The DOJ's breakup suit survived an initial dismissal bid; summary judgment is pending, with trial possible in early 2026. Separately, the FTC sued over alleged failures to keep scalpers off Ticketmaster under the BOTS Act.
- Action: For promoters and venues, review exclusivity, MFNs, and tying practices. Preserve documents for market definition and competitive effects defenses.
- Resource: Better Online Ticket Sales statute overview: FTC BOTS Act.
10. The Eras Tour Keeps Courts Busy
Prosecutors charged a crew for stealing and reselling 900 tickets. The FTC sued a broker for bot-driven buys. StubHub faced a suit over "inferior" replacement seats. And a judge issued an early win for hundreds of fans in an antitrust case tied to the 2022 presale.
- Action: Revisit presale rules, bot detection, and seat-substitution policies. Align consumer disclosures with refund and remedy terms to limit UDAP and contract exposure.
- Action: Audit arbitration clauses, class waivers, and choice-of-law provisions against state-law constraints and current plaintiff theories.
What to Watch in 2026
- AI licensing 2.0: standard-setting around consent, fees, and output restrictions - plus right-of-publicity enforcement for voice cloning.
- Termination appeals and contract rewrites as catalogs hit the 35-year mark.
- Antitrust pressure on live events and ticketing, with remedies on the table if DOJ clears summary judgment.
- Defamation boundaries around lyrical content versus corporate or promotional speech.
- Platform liability for fraud, disclosure, and consumer harms in streaming and ticketing.
Bottom line: build clauses for AI and fraud, keep a termination calendar, and get your antitrust and ticketing hygiene in order. The cases are public, but the edge is private - tighter contracts, faster evidence, and cleaner processes.
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