Universal Music's $500M Lawsuit Against Believe Advances to January Pretrial Conference
Universal Music Group's $500 million copyright infringement lawsuit against Believe and TuneCore is progressing, with a pretrial conference scheduled for January 8 in New York.
UMG white logo against black background
The lawsuit alleges "rampant piracy," claiming Believe and TuneCore distributed infringing works to digital service providers without proper vetting. The affected works include songs from major artists like Post Malone, Kendrick Lamar, and Lady Gaga.
Key allegations include:
- Distribution of unauthorized "sped up" and "remixed" versions of popular songs
- Exploitation of YouTube's content management system
- Wrongful collection of royalties from infringing content
- Failure to properly vet third-party submissions
UMG seeks $500 million in damages and a permanent injunction to prevent further infringement. The court has ordered both parties to file a joint letter and proposed Civil Case Management Plan by January 2.
Believe maintains they "strongly refute these claims" and will contest the lawsuit, stating they "take the respect of copyright very seriously." TuneCore and Believe have declined further comment on the pending litigation.
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