Believe to Fight $500M Universal Music Copyright Lawsuit Over Unauthorized Distribution Claims
Universal Music Group (UMG) has filed a $500 million copyright infringement lawsuit against Believe and its TuneCore subsidiary, alleging widespread unauthorized distribution of protected music.
Post Malone performing onstage
Key Allegations:
- Believe and TuneCore distributed infringing content without proper vetting
- Unauthorized distribution included modified versions and remixes of songs by major artists like Bee Gees, Elton John, and Lil Wayne
- The companies allegedly collected royalties from these unauthorized distributions
- Tracks received hundreds of millions of streams across various platforms
YouTube Content ID Issues:
- Believe allegedly made false copyright ownership claims through YouTube's Content ID system
- UMG was forced to repeatedly contest these incorrect claims
- Even after losing Content ID disputes, Believe continued distributing contested tracks on other platforms
Believe's Response:
- Company strongly refutes all claims
- States they have robust copyright protection tools and processes
- Emphasizes their 20-year history supporting independent artists
- Maintains Tier 1 status and Preferred Partner Program inclusion across music stores
The lawsuit seeks damages exceeding $500 million and highlights growing tensions between major labels and digital music distributors over copyright protection and content verification procedures.
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