Universal is back with yet another copyright lawsuit, this time against VH1. Last week Universal filed the lawsuit in California against VH1’s “Master Of The Mix” DJ competition show for the unlicensed use of 93 songs and over 100 sample recordings. As the music industry transitions out of a sales driven model and into a subscription and streaming model, labels are upping their efforts to keep the pay day rolling.
Earlier this year notably, Ultra Records used the same tactic as they sued a Youtube star for using their songs in her make up tutorial video (Here).
Universals lawsuit outlined the use of samples from the likes of Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, and several other pre 1972 recorded tracks. The trend in filling copyright lawsuits is the new norm for big labels, as they struggle to adapt to the changing music consumption patterns and struggle to maintain numbers. This is neither the first or last, and more is sure to follow. You can read more details about it here: