Music Labels Win On Most Counts In Classic Rock Videos Suit

By Editorial Team

Music labels suing a British filmmaker and his former company over a set of videos that made unauthorized use of songs by several classic rock artists were granted a win on a substantial portion of the case Wednesday by a Manhattan federal judge who found the videos did not contain enough legitimate commentary to be considered documentaries.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, involved music labels ABKCO Music & Records Inc. and Higher Ground against the filmmaker and his company. The judge, Katherine P. Failla, ruled in favor of the music labels on most counts, highlighting that the videos lacked the necessary elements to be classified as documentaries.

The legal teams involved in the case included law firms Nixon Peabody and Rahman Ravelli, representing the music labels and the defendants, respectively.

This ruling is a significant victory for the music labels, as it reinforces the importance of obtaining proper licensing and permissions when using copyrighted material, especially in the context of creating audiovisual content.

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