Universal Music Group (UMG) is locked in a legal battle with their artist Drake over his dismissed "Not Like Us" lawsuit, which is currently in appeal. Ironically enough, they just settled a separate lawsuit relating to Drizzy's Compton rival and another one of their artists, Kendrick Lamar. They had accused French music company Believe and its TuneCore distribution service of "massive" copyright infringement by distributing fake remixes of songs by K.Dot, Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, and more.
According to Billboard, attorneys for both sides of the $500 million lawsuit asked a federal judge to dismiss the case in court filings from earlier today (Friday, April 3). However, they did not publicly reveal the terms of their settlement. As such, folks don't know if Believe and TuneCore had to change their policies or pay UMG any money. Neither entity commented on the settlement or its details beyond the following statement from a Believe representative: "The litigation was resolved amicably."
This 2024 lawsuit accused Believe and TuneCore of distributing material from "fraudulent artists" and turning a "blind eye" to this alleged copyright infringement. The fake tracks in question refer to sped-up or remixed tracks from Kendrick Lamar and others, often distributed under fake names like "Kendrik Laamar," "Arriana Gramde," and "Jutin Biber." Believe denied UMG's allegations, stating that they treat "respect of copyright very seriously."
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Drake's Lawsuit Against UMG
Nevertheless, UMG claimed in 2024 that Believe and TuneCore "achieved dramatic growth and profitability" by becoming a safe space for "infringing copies of the world's most popular copyrighted recordings."
"These problems are definitely not unique to TuneCore," one expert reportedly remarked about this case, according to Billboard. These questions around DIY distribution models became a big part of these discussions. Both sides entered settlement talks shortly after the lawsuit emerged, which lasted over a year.
Now, though, it seems like both sides came to a satisfactory agreement, even if the details are unclear. After this settlement, UMG's Drake and Kendrick Lamar-related legal battle is back in focus. They previously called the Toronto superstar a hypocrite for his appeal attempt and hope to make sure that defamation suit stays in the dirt.
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