Bill Cosby has been sentenced to three to ten years in prison.
Bill Cosby Sentenced to 3 to 10 Years in Prison, Denied Bail
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Spotify Sued for Gender Discrimination
Gene Maddaus, writing at Variety:
A female sales executive sued Spotify on Tuesday, alleging that the head of sales took his staff on drug-fueled “boys’ trips” to the Sundance Film Festival, and excluded women who were better qualified.
Hong Perez filed suit in New York Supreme Court, accusing the streaming company of systemically discriminating against female employees. Perez alleges that her boss, Brian Berner, selected an all-male group to attend Sundance in 2016 and 2017, and that some of the men got into a physical altercation during one of the trips.
Travis Barker Says Nerve Damage Caused by Medical Malpractice
TMZ:
In the lawsuit — obtained by TMZ — Barker claims in June he went to The Medical Imaging Center in Santa Monica to receive an MRI as part of his routine checkup for his upcoming tour. Barker was to be sedated before the procedure, but technicians were unable to find a vein, sticking him at least 40x times in the process with a dirty needle and giving him staph. He’s suing the medical office.
Music Modernization Act Passes in Senate
Ed Christman, writing at Billboard:
The long road to copyright revision is nearing its end as the U.S. Senate passed the Music Modernization Act by unanimous consent Tuesday (Sept. 18). The move mimics the House’s unilateral support, previously passing the bill by a vote of 415-0 back in April.
With the Senate’s move, the legislation has been renamed the Orrin G. Hatch Music Modernization Act in honor of the Republican senior senator from Utah — a songwriter himself — who will retire at the end of his term this year.
Kanye West and Tidal Facing Lawsuit of Exclusive Claims
Marc Hogan, writing for Pitchfork:
Kanye West and Tidal can’t dodge a lawsuit that alleges they tricked fans into subscribing to the streaming service by falsely claiming it would be the only place to hear West’s 2016 album The Life of Pablo, a judge has ruled.
In an an 18-page opinion today that was obtained by Pitchfork, U.S. District Court Judge Gregory Woods granted parts of Tidal’s motions to dismiss the proposed class-action lawsuit but denied other parts, allowing the case to go forward as it relates to a tweet West made on February 15, 2016.
The Used Granted Restraining Order
TMZ is reporting that The Used have been granted a restraining order against former guitarist Justin Shekoski:
The Used were granted the protection … which requires Shekoski to stay 100 yards away from all members of the group, and any place they work. That includes any venues where the group’s performing.
Former The Ataris Bassist Indicted on Conspiracy and Fraud Charges
Tyler Hayden, writing for the Santa Barbra Independent:
Michael Davenport, a Santa Barbara resident and former bassist for the punk rock band The Ataris, was indicted last month on federal conspiracy and fraud charges for allegedly operating a nationwide telemarketing real estate scam that cheated approximately 100,000 people out of $27 million between 2009 and 2016.
Radiohead’s Publisher Says No Lawsuit Filed
Radiohead’s publishers have sent a statement to Pitchfork regarding Lana Del Rey’s comments over the weekend:
As Radiohead’s music publisher, it’s true that we’ve been in discussions since August of last year with Lana Del Rey’s representatives. It’s clear that the verses of “Get Free” use musical elements found in the verses of “Creep” and we’ve requested that this be acknowledged in favour of all writers of “Creep.” To set the record straight, no lawsuit has been issued and Radiohead have not said they “will only accept 100%” of the publishing of “Get Free.”
Lana Del Rey Says Radiohead Are Suing Her
Lana Del Rey has confirmed on Twitter that Radiohead are suing her over “Get Free” apparently sounding too much like “Creep:”
It’s true about the lawsuit. Although I know my song wasn’t inspired by Creep, Radiohead feel it was and want 100% of the publishing – I offered up to 40 over the last few months but they will only accept 100. Their lawyers have been relentless, so we will deal with it in court.
Insane Clown Posse Lose Legal Fight Over Juggalo ‘Gang’ Label
Jon Blistein, writing for Rolling Stone:
The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Monday that the FBI’s decision to list the Juggalos as a gang was not a “final agency” action, meaning it was not legally binding and could not be challenged in court.
The FBI classified the Juggalos as a gang in their 2011 National Gang Threat Assessment. The report referred to them as “a loosely-organized hybrid gang” that engages in “sporadic, disorganized, individualistic” crime such as, “simple assault, personal drug use and possession, petty theft and vandalism.”
Modest Mouse Singer Isaac Brock Sued for $865k
Aimee Green, writing for The Oregonian:
A 41-year-old Portland city employee struck by the SUV of local rock star Isaac Brock — who said he fell asleep at the wheel — filed an $865,000 lawsuit Wednesday against the Modest Mouse lead singer.
The lawsuit, filed by city employee Cassidy Kane, claims Brock — the frontman of the indie rock band — was “impaired” when he slammed his 2004 Land Rover into the back of Kane’s City of Portland pickup truck at 9:20 a.m. on Aug. 3, 2016.
ACLU Defending Blogger From Defamation Claim by Taylor Swift
The ACLU is defending a blogger from a defamation claim by Taylor Swift. From today’s press release:
On Sep. 5, PopFront editor Meghan Herning wrote a post titled “Swiftly to the alt-right: Taylor subtly gets the lower case kkk in formation.” The post is a mix of political speech and critical commentary, and discusses the resurgence of white supremacy and the fact that some white supremacists have embraced Swift. It also provides a critical interpretation of some of Swift’s music, lyrics, and videos. The post ends by calling on Swift to personally denounce white supremacy, saying “silence in the face of injustice means support for the oppressor.”
On Oct. 25, Herning received an intimidating letter from Swift and her attorney labeling the blog post as defamatory and demanding that she issue a retraction, remove the story from all media sources, and cease and desist. The letter threatened a lawsuit.
Seems like a lot of money to pay lawyers instead of just saying “white supremacy is really fucking bad.”
Frank Ocean Beats Estranged Dad’s Libel Suit
Melissa Daniels, writing for Law360:
Grammy Award-winning musician Frank Ocean beat a $14.5 million libel suit from his estranged father Tuesday, when a California federal judge ruled at a daylong bench trial that the dad hadn’t shown that his son defamed him with a 2016 Tumblr post that recounted him calling a transgender waitress an anti-gay slur.
U.S. District Judge Stephen V. Wilson said that while the court doesn’t have to rule whether the statement was truthful, Calvin Cooksey still had failed to meet necessary elements to make his defamation claim.
Flavor Flav Sues Chuck D, Public Enemy Camp Over Profits
Althea Legaspi, writing for Rolling Stone:
In the lawsuit, Flavor Flav (real name William J. Drayton) claims that he and Chuck D (real name Carlton Ridenhour) had a long-established agreement that profits from their music, merchandise and concerts would be split between them. Despite that alleged arrangement, Flavor Flav claims that Public Enemy’s business management firm Eastlink has not been sending the earnings he is owed, which have “diminished to almost nothing, and Drayton has been refused accountings, even on the items bearing his likeness,” according to the lawsuit.
How Avenged Sevenfold’s Lawsuit Could Upend Record Deals Everywhere
Eriq Gardner, writing for The Hollywood Reporter:
What’s a record label actually good for? That is a question implied in a lawsuit between Warner Bros. Records and Avenged Sevenfold, a heavy metal band from Huntington Beach, California, that is scheduled to go to trial this year and has the potential to upend the music industry.
The dispute dates back to 2015, when the act notified its label that it was terminating the contract it signed in 2004, citing the “seven-year rule,” which bars personal service contracts lasting longer than seven years. The law has its roots in a pro-labor statute put on the books after the Civil War to prevent long-term contracts from becoming the means for involuntary servitude. The modern version of the rule was famously tested in entertainment in 1944, when Olivia de Havilland used the law to break her contract with Warner Bros after the studio repeatedly suspended her for turning down roles. An appeals court decision helped bring an end to Hollywood’s old studio system.