3 Count: Sample Battle

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1: Universal Music Sued for Copyright Infringement Over Mary J. Blige Sample

First off today, Blake Brittain at Reuters reports that the New York-based label Tuff City Records has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Universal Music Group alleging that the larger label failed to clear a sample in a Mary J Blige song.

The lawsuit claims that the song Real Love by Blige in 1992 includes a sample from the song Impeach the President by the Honey Drippers in 1972. The label further claims that they attempted to negotiate an agreement with Universal, only to be rebuffed.

Tuff City has filed similar lawsuits against other labels, with most ending in a settlement. Neither party agreed to comment on the lawsuit.

2: Michigan Hospital Argues It Didn’t Steal Designs from Detroit Architecture Firm

Next up today Mark Sanchez at Crain’s Detroit Business reports that Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital and their current architecture firm are responding to a $60 million lawsuit filed by a competing architecture firm, claiming they legally own the disputed material.

SmithGroup filed the lawsuit against the hospital. They claim that the hospital terminated their contract in September 2023 and did not pay the licensing fee for the materials they created. The firm alleges that the hospital proceeded with a rival company, engaging in the unlawful utilization of their designs.

In their response, the hospital claims that they legally own the rights to materials. Furthermore, they claim that this is not an issue for the courts but first should go through arbitration to determine if the contract was broken.

3: U.S. Calls Out EU Member States For Piracy Failings in Trade Barriers Report

Finally today, Andy Maxwell at Torrentfreak writes that the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has released their annual Foreign Trade Barriers Report which, among other things, looks at countries where piracy of copyright-protected work is a common problem.

The report highlights various countries that the USTR feels it is not doing enough to combat piracy. This includes Russia, which recently passed a law making it difficult for rightsholders from “unfriendly” countries to take action. Likewise, the report also highlighted Vietnam as a hub for pirate streaming sites.

The report is separate from the USTR’s Special 301 report, which specifically looks at countries with inadequate copyright protections. However, given that piracy and copyright issues are often barriers to trade, there is significant overlap between the two reports.

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