Billy Joel drummer files NY lawsuit over royalties

A former drummer for Billy Joel claims the Grammy Award-winning singer of hits including "Uptown Girl" and "Movin' Out" has stiffed him out of royalties for years.

Liberty DeVitto has filed a lawsuit in Manhattan's state Supreme Court demanding Joel pay him overdue royalties. The 58-year-old says he was Joel's drummer from 1975 to 2005 and helped the piano man craft some of his biggest albums. more...

Copyright Office Fees Set to Change on August 1

The Copyright Office has submitted to Congress a proposed new fee schedule that will go into effect on August 1 unless Congress rejects the schedule. The fee for registration of a basic claim to copyright filed electronically will remain $35. Filing on a Form CO, which is filled out online, printed with 2D barcodes that contain the information from the application, and mailed to the Office, will increase to $50. Filing on traditional paper forms without barcodes will be $65 to reflect the higher cost to the Office of processing these forms. more...

UMPG, Eminem Sign Worldwide Deal

Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) has signed Eminem to an exclusive worldwide publishing agreement beginning with the artist's sixth studio album, "Relapse," due May 19. Previoulsy, UMPG had an administration relationship with a portion of the Eminem song catalog. more...

Rapper Lil Wayne sues song's producer

Rapper Lil Wayne is suing the producer of a song he performed that allegedly sampled another singer's work without permission.

A lawsuit filed last year against Lil Wayne accuses him of copyright infringement, saying he failed to secure permission to sample folk singer Karma-Ann Swanepoel's song "Once" on his track "I Feel Like Dying."

A lawsuit filed last week by the rapper's lawyers says Rebel Rock Productions Inc., of Coconut Creek, Fla., produced "I Feel Like Dying" and was responsible for obtaining any necessary licensing agreements. more

Wilco ex-member sues Jeff Tweedy for royalties

A former member of Wilco is suing the band's lead singer, claiming he's owed royalties for songs during his seven years and five albums with the group.

Jay Bennett also claims in the breach-of-contract lawsuit filed Monday against singer Jeff Tweedy that he deserves money from the band's 2002 documentary, "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart." The film documents the making of Wilco's album "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot." more

Crystal Clear Music President to sit on panel at the 2009 Winter Music Conference

Cheryl M. Potts, President of Crystal Clear Music, Inc. is a confirmed panelist at the 2009 Winter Music Conference in Miami, Florida Tuesday, March 24, 2009. The panel titled Producing Music for Film & TV / Sound tracking will address creative approaches artists use to score for film, commercials, TV and still maintain aesthetic integrity. If you are an artist or label looking for alternative revenue streams or want to combine your music with images, this panel is for you. "I have heard so much about the Winter Music Conference over the years, I am excited to be part of the event this year." said Ms. Potts. The Winter Music Conference, in its 24th consecutive year, is one of the most publicized annual music gatherings in the world. Music, as one of the world's most accessible art forms, gives WMC the unique ability to cross economic, geographic and social boundaries. Over 1.3 million viewers from 183 countries (out of 192 in the world) logged on to the WMC website in 2008 and 62,000 participants from 70 countries came to Miami Beach to participate in WMC week.

For list of panels and events click here for more details

About Winter Music Conference
Winter Music Conference, in its 24th year, is regarded as the singular networking event in the dance music industry, attracting professionals from over 70 different countries. With its high concentration of top international artists, DJs and industry professionals, WMC permeates the international press and is thereby one of the most publicized events in the business. Every aspect of the industry is represented including the top technological innovators, artists, DJs, producers, radio and video programmers, retailers, distributors, audio manufacturers and many more. There are countless reasons why people from all over the world return year after year for this event, the most outstanding one being that there is nothing else in the world like it. For information regarding the Winter Music Conference please visit their at www.wintermusicconference.com

Respect Copyrights

Interesting website created for people who received notice from their Internet service provider or—if you’re a student—the college or university you attend, has notified you that your Internet account has been used to illegally copy and/or distribute copyrighted movies or television shows. click here to view