Half-Billion Dollar Copyright Battle: Believe Vows to Fight Universal Music Lawsuit
Universal Music Group (UMG) has filed a $500 million copyright infringement lawsuit against Believe and its TuneCore subsidiary, alleging widespread unauthorized distribution of protected works.
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Key Allegations:
- Believe and TuneCore distributed infringing content without proper vetting
- Works from major artists including Bee Gees, Elton John, and Lil Wayne were affected
- Defendants allegedly distributed "sped up" versions and unauthorized remixes
- Hundreds of millions of unauthorized streams occurred across various platforms
- Believe allegedly made false copyright claims through YouTube's Content ID system
The lawsuit claims Believe:
- Failed to conduct due diligence on submitted tracks
- Distributed content from questionable sources
- Collected royalties from infringing content
- Made incorrect ownership claims on YouTube
- Continued distributing contested tracks on other platforms
Believe's Response:
Believe strongly refutes the claims and pledges to fight them, stating they:
- Take copyright seriously
- Have robust protection tools and processes
- Work collaboratively with industry partners
- Hold Tier 1 status across music stores
- Have supported independent artists for nearly 20 years
The case is currently pending in New York federal court, with UMG seeking over $500 million in damages.
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