NO GOOD DEED – In 2019, when Adam Levine put the decision out on Instagram for donations to assist victims of Hurricane Dorian within the Bahamas, it appears he randomly picked a video of the catastrophe to focus on the injury.
Seems he picked the fallacious one. In a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles federal court docket, Levine was sued for copyright infringement by a really, very litigious firm that claims it owns the rights to that catastrophe clip, which was allegedly shot by “skilled storm chaser” Michael Brandon Clement
Associated
The corporate, World Climate Productions LLC, has been on one thing of a litigation spree in recent times, bringing dozens of such lawsuits towards people who allegedly use catastrophe clips with out authorization — together with Reuters, Univision, NewsNation and mannequin Molly Sims.
However with an artist like Levine, the lawsuit says the uncleared use of the clip is especially egregious: “As a musician and writer, defendant has vital expertise in copyright issues and is aware of particular practices together with the necessity to make sure that content material utilized in his posts has been correctly licensed.”
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Different prime tales this week…
DIDDY WANTS BAIL – Sean “Diddy” Combs requested a federal decide to release him from jail forward of his October sentencing date, arguing that prostitution clients, or “johns,” are basically by no means incarcerated like he’s been: “There has actually by no means been a case like this one, the place an individual and his girlfriend organized for grownup males to have consensual sexual relations with the grownup long-term girlfriend,” Diddy’s attorneys wrote.
COPYRIGHT CLASH – Tyla was hit with a copyright lawsuit over her 2023 hit “Water,” filed by two collaborators (Olmo Zucca and Jackson LoMastro) who the South African star (Tyla Seethal) has cheated out of royalties by the use of a “nefarious” scheme by a lead producer on the monitor. The case is an enormous deal as a result of “Water” was an enormous deal: The July 2023 monitor spent 29 weeks on the Billboard Sizzling 100, peaking at No. 7, and finally gained a Grammy Award for greatest African music efficiency.
BLAME THE VICTIM? GloRilla was arrested in Georgia on expenses of felony possession of marijuana — expenses levied towards her after she was the sufferer of a house invasion and police allegedly found the medication whereas responding. Her lawyer, Drew Findling, shortly denounced her arrest, calling it a “disturbing window into how warped legislation enforcement priorities have develop into” in 2025: “Ms. Woods is a sufferer, not a suspect.”
MIC TOSS – Cardi B was hit with an assault lawsuit for throwing a microphone at a fan who splashed the rapper with a drink throughout a Las Vegas live performance in 2023 — a case that claims the celebrity really requested followers to assist her cool off in the course of the scorching out of doors live performance. The incident, captured in a viral video, was reported to native police, who carried out a short prison investigation however determined to not file expenses.
PHOEBE’S REVENGE – If you happen to sue Phoebe Bridgers, you higher be certain you’re proper. The “Kyoto” singer gained another big judgment towards Chris Nelson, a recording studio proprietor who unsuccessfully sued the star for defamation after she accused him of “grooming” and different abuse on social media. A decide ordered Nelson to pay Bridgers $392,070, a positive that got here on prime of an earlier an earlier judgment of $496,608.
A FIFTH ACCUSER – One other girl filed a police report towards Smokey Robinson, widening the prison investigation that started when 4 of the Motown legend’s former housekeepers leveled bombshell rape allegations two months in the past. Robinson vehemently denies raping anyone and has described his ex-housekeepers’ claims as a money seize.
MARY HITS BACK – Mary J. Blige fired again at a lawsuit filed earlier this 12 months by her former stylist Misa Hylton, accusing the longtime buddy and her attorneys of “fabricating accusations” to attempt to win a settlement payout. The case claims Blige “sabotaged” Hylton’s administration relationship with a rapper, however the star mentioned these claims are so “frivolous” that the stylist and her lawyer ought to face sanctions for even submitting them within the first place.
POSTY CUSTODY BATTLE – Post Malone’s ex-girlfriend, Hee Sung “Jamie” Park, dropped a court petition that sought to maneuver their three-year-old daughter from Utah to California, a transfer that got here after intense opposition from the singer. In accordance with sources, Park agreed to drop the California case as a part of a brief custody settlement that she and Put up amicably agreed upon, though they are going to proceed to litigate last custody preparations within the Utah court docket.
ANTI-FLAG JUDGMENT – Justin Sane, the previous lead singer of defunct political punk band Anti-Flag, was ordered to pay $1.9 million to Kristina Sarhadi, who sued him over accusations of rape. The ruling held Sane (born Justin Geever) liable by default as a result of he failed to reply to the assault and sexual battery lawsuit that Sarhadi filed in 2023.
SAMPLING SPAT – Victory Boyd, a singer who sued Travis Scott, SZA and Future for copyright infringement, filed a new motion disputing that Ye (previously Kanye West) was a co-writer on the demo that finally turned the trio’s 2023 hit “Telekinesis.” The brand new declare got here as a response to the superstars’ core protection towards Boyd’s lawsuit: That Ye had granted them permission to make use of the monitor.
COMEDY LITIGATION – Pandora isn’t required to fork over additional royalties for streaming comedy routines by Robin Williams, Lewis Black and others, according to a new report launched as a part of a closely-watched lawsuit over how comedians are paid by digital platforms. The report says the comedians gave Pandora an “implied license” to the spoken-word materials of their units — the jokes themselves — by permitting the corporate to stream sound recordings of their comedy exhibits for years with out protest.
FRAUD SENTENCE – Sean Kingston’s mom, Janice Turner, was sentenced by a federal judge to 5 years in jail and three years on probation after being convicted alongside along with her son of wire fraud over a scheme to steal greater than $1 million in high-end vehicles, jewellery and different luxurious items. Turner had sought a sentence of lower than three years, citing well being points and “minimal prison historical past.” Kingston himself is about for sentencing subsequent month.
NOT AGAIN, TEKASHI – Rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine pleaded responsible to violating his supervised release by possessing cocaine and MDMA, his second such breach of a plea deal he struck with prosecutors in 2018 to testify towards his former Brooklyn gangmates. The brand new expenses stem from a raid on the rapper’s Miami residence in March — and got here simply months after Tekashi admitted to violating his supervised launch by taking methamphetamine and touring to Las Vegas. He’ll be sentenced in September.
GEFFEN DIVORCE DRAMA – Music and movie mogul David Geffen was hit with a lawsuit from his estranged husband Donovan Michaels over explosive allegations of paid intercourse, exploitation and abuse throughout their temporary marriage. His attorneys shortly denied any wrongdoing, calling the case a “false, pathetic lawsuit” that they might defeat in court docket.