Legal Battles in the Music Industry: The Latest News on Lawsuits, Trials, and Settlements
The Department of Justice filed an antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation, alleging that the company engages in illegal practices to dominate the ticketing industry. The case has now been cleared to proceed to trial after a federal judge's ruling. Live Nation is accused of using its revenue from ticket sales to sign artists and then leveraging those relationships to secure exclusive ticketing contracts with venues, generating more revenue. The judge's decision allows the government to move forward with key accusations, including claims that Live Nation coerced artists into using its promotion services to access its amphitheaters.
In other legal news, two producers dropped a lawsuit against Karol G over a song from her album, Mañana Será Bonito, and issued an apology for filing the suit. Record labels are cracking down on corporate social media accounts using popular songs, and skaters at the 2026 Winter Olympics faced challenges with music licensing for their routines. Prosecutors filed a brief in Sean "Diddy" Combs' criminal appeal, defending his prostitution conviction and prison sentence. Miley Cyrus requested the dismissal of a lawsuit alleging her song "Flowers" copied Bruno Mars' "When I Was Your Man," arguing the songs are distinct.
As Lil Durk's murder-for-hire trial approaches, a judge ruled that prosecutors can introduce some of his lyrics as evidence. OutKast settled a lawsuit against an electronic dance music duo using the name ATLiens, the same as one of their songs. Ramón Ayala, a regional Mexican music legend, is facing a $25 million lawsuit over alleged abusive behavior by his son towards a tour photographer. R&B singer Kenny Lattimore filed a lawsuit against distributor SRG/ILS Group over royalty payments. A civil suit against Live Nation regarding a deadly shooting at the Beyond Wonderland festival was not dismissed by a judge. Donny Osmond is being sued by a concertgoer who claims she suffered a retinal injury from a giant inflatable ball at his Las Vegas residency. The estate of Isaac Hayes settled copyright litigation with President Donald Trump over the use of the song "Hold On, I'm Comin'" at election rallies.
Stay tuned for more updates on these legal battles and other music law news in The Legal Beat, a weekly newsletter from Billboard Pro. Subscribe to receive the latest updates every Tuesday.