Universal Music Sues Believe In US Court Alleging Copyright Infringement
Universal Music Sues Believe In US Court Alleging Copyright Infringement
The company has been advocating for artists to be compensated fairly
Universal Music Group NV, along with ABKКСО Music & Records and Concord Music Group, has filed a lawsuit in the US District Court - Southern District of New York against French record label Believe SA and its TuneCore Inc business seeking $500 million damages for copyright infringement.
The Netherlands-based record label argued that Believe's growth and profitability in recent years was achieved by "operating as a hub for the distribution of infringing copies of the world's most popular copyrighted recordings.”
However, Believe refuted the allegations and a company spokesperson stated they would contest the claim.
Universal Music, the world's largest record label, and whose one of the biggest investors is billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, represents singers including Taylor Swift and Drake.
It has advocated for artists to be compensated fairly and to reward songs, which the fans seek on platforms.
In 2023, it sued Anthropic PBC alleging that the Amazon.com Inc-backed artificial intelligence (Al) firm was involved in widespread infringement of its copyrighted music lyrics.
It alleged that names of the French label’s artists including Lady Gaga and Justin Biber were often minor variants on Universal Music's singers. It added that Believe distributed ‘overtly infringing’ versions of original tracks by famous artists with notations that they were sped-up or remixed.
Meanwhile, founded in 2005, Paris-headquartered Believe helps independent musicians and small labels by distributing and marketing their work on streaming platforms.
Believe has been contemplating takeovers, and its founder Denis Ladegaillerie partnered with investment firms to buy a record label in a €1.46 billion ($1.6 billion) deal.
Warner Music Group also expressed interest in Believe but later decided against bidding for the company.
