Closed Flagstaff venue Yucca North hit with copyright infringement lawsuit; Arizona Daily Sun, June 24, 2026

 SAM MCLAUGHLIN , Arizona Daily Sun; Closed Flagstaff venue Yucca North hit with copyright infringement lawsuit

"And this week, to add insult to injury, Yucca North’s owners were sued by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) for alleged nonpayment of music licensing fees and copyright infringement...

The complaint against Yucca North references three specific songs that were allegedly performed without permission on Nov. 10 or 11, 2025: “Plush” by Stone Temple Pilots; “Creep” by Radiohead; and “Play that Funky Music” by Wild Cherry.

ASCAP also sued 11 other businesses in different states, on similar grounds of copyright infringement.

“Tens of thousands of well-run establishments across the country recognize the value of music and obtain ASCAP blanket licenses because music attracts customers, causes them to stay longer and spend more money,” ASCAP executive vice president Stephanie Ruyle said in a press release announcing the litigation. “U.S. copyright law requires that businesses compensate the creators of that music when they use it, and ASCAP ensures the creators of that music get paid. However, each of the establishments sued today has chosen to infringe upon the hard work of songwriters instead of licensing the music they play, despite repeated notifications and opportunities to do so.”

ASCAP claims that Yucca North stopped paying music licensing fees in September 2024."

The New York Times Amends Lawsuit Against OpenAI and Microsoft; The New York Times, June 25, 2026

 Cade Metz , The New York Times; The New York Times Amends Lawsuit Against OpenAI and Microsoft

"The New York Times amended its lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft on Thursday, modifying one claim against Microsoft and dropping another against OpenAI, according to a legal filing in federal court...

In a filing in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on Thursday, The Times accused Microsoft of encouraging OpenAI to train its A.I. systems using copyrighted articles from The Times and of providing services designed to help with this training.

The Times also dropped a claim from its original lawsuit, filed in 2023, accusing OpenAI of “secondarily” infringing on its copyrights because it did not prevent consumers and businesses from generating copyrighted material using A.I."

Nearly 400 local newspapers sue OpenAI, Microsoft over alleged copyright theft; New Jersey Globe, June 24, 2025

 David Wildstein, New Jersey Globe ; Nearly 400 local newspapers sue OpenAI, Microsoft over alleged copyright theft

"The massive coalition of local newspaper publishers filed a federal lawsuit today against OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging the technology companies systematically copied copyrighted reporting from nearly 400 local newspapers to train and develop commercial artificial intelligence products, including ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot, without permission or compensation.

The publishers, represented by Platkin LLP, a law firm founded earlier this year by former New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin, contend that OpenAI and Microsoft unlawfully appropriated original news content to build their AI systems, violating the Copyright Act and threatening the future of local journalism.

The lawsuit also alleges that OpenAI knowingly stripped copyright management information from publishers’ work — including author bylines, copyright notices, and terms of use information — in violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

The complaint cites remarks by OpenAI founder Sam Altman, who acknowledged during testimony before the British House of Lords that it would be “impossible to train today’s leading AI models without using copyrighted materials.”"

LEONARD COHEN ESTATE DOES NOT SUPPORT TRUMP’S PLAN TO USE ‘HALLELUJAH’ AT FREEDOM 250 RALLY; Rolling Stone, June 24, 2026

 CHARISMA MADARANG , Rolling Stone; LEONARD COHEN ESTATE DOES NOT SUPPORT TRUMP’S PLAN TO USE ‘HALLELUJAH’ AT FREEDOM 250 RALLY

"Leonard Cohen‘s estate made it clear that it has not authorized President Donald Trump‘s plan to use Cohen’s famed song “Hallelujah” at his Freedom 250 rally on Wednesday night. 

“The Leonard Cohen Estate has learned that the song ‘Hallelujah’ is to be performed at a Donald Trump rally on June 24,” read a statement posted on the late singer’s social media. “This use is not authorized, and the Estate does not support or approve of this or any similar usage.”

The estate ended its message with a jab at Trump’s Truth Social catchphrase: “Thank you for your attention to this matter.”

Cohen’s estate has criticized Trump’s use of the oft-covered classic before. When Trump’s campaign used a cover of Cohen’s song at the Republican National Convention in 2020, the estate said it was “dismayed that the RNC would proceed knowing that the Cohen Estate had specifically declined the RNC’s use request, and their rather brazen attempt to politicize and exploit in such an egregious manner ‘Hallelujah.'” Instead, the estate suggested Trump’s campaign request Cohen’s “You Want it Darker.”"

‘Mormon belongs to the public’: Podcaster files response in LDS Church trademark infringement lawsuit; ABC4, June 24, 2026

 Amelia Hobson, ABC4 ; ‘Mormon belongs to the public’: Podcaster files response in LDS Church trademark infringement lawsuit

"After being sued by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for alleged trademark infringement, the ‘Mormon Stories’ Podcast has filed a response, claiming that the Church has abandoned the trademark ‘Mormon’, despite their representations to the U.S Patent and Trademark Office.

Mormon Stories is a podcast that focuses on the lived experiences of current and former members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, according to their website. 

On Monday, Dehlin and the Mormon Stories parent organization, Open Stories Foundation, filed their response to a lawsuit filed by the Church that alleged copyright infringement on the podcast."

U.S. Copyright Office Announces Copyright Essentials: Copyright 101 Webinar; U.S. Copyright Office, June 23, 2026

U.S. Copyright Office; U.S. Copyright Office Announces Copyright Essentials: Copyright 101 Webinar

"The U.S. Copyright Office invites you to register to attend the upcoming online webinar, “Copyright Essentials: Copyright 101,” on Wednesday, July 15 at 1:00 p.m. eastern time. This event is the latest edition in our educational series designed to teach copyright basics and key concepts to creators within various disciplines. 

In this session, join us as the Copyright Office discusses the foundations of copyright law, the process of copyright registration, and Copyright Office programs supporting research, enforcement, and understanding copyright concepts like fair use. We will answer commonly asked questions; review educational resources and registration options, such as the Office’s Copyright Registration Toolkit; and share how the Copyright Office’s Public Information Office can assist along the way. 

Speakers: 

• Samantha Levin, Attorney-Advisor, Office of Public Information and Education 
• Taylor Schumacher, Attorney-Advisor, Office of Public Information and Education 

The Copyright Office strategic goal of Copyright for All means making the copyright system as understandable and accessible to as many members of the public as possible, through initiatives including education and outreach. Subscribe to stay updated about future webinars in this series. 

Watch the complete set of recordings on our Copyright Essentials event page."

Millions of Copyrighted Songs Were Fed to AI Music Generators – Now There’s Proof; Gadget Review, June 16, 2026

 Al Landes , Gadget Review; Millions of Copyrighted Songs Were Fed to AI Music Generators – Now There’s Proof

Atlantic databases name 21 million tracks fed to Suno and rivals as Sony, UMG, and Warner seek $150,000 per song in damages

"Searchable databases verify roughly 21 million copyrighted songs trained AI music generators.

Sony, UMG, and Warner lawsuits seek up to $150,000 per song from Suno and Udio.

HarmonyCloak tool lets artists protect songs by adding inaudible AI-blocking audio perturbations.

Millions of copyrighted songs — including chart-topping hits — verifiably trained AI music generators, and now there are searchable databases to prove it. The Atlantic, through an investigation by staff writer Alex Reisner, published four catalogs documenting exactly which music fed these models:"

CBS SIGNS DEAL TO AVOID LEGAL TROUBLE FROM STEPHEN COLBERT PLAYING COPYRIGHTED ‘PEANUTS’ SONG; Billboard, June 16, 2026

 Bill Donahue, Billboard ; CBS SIGNS DEAL TO AVOID LEGAL TROUBLE FROM STEPHEN COLBERT PLAYING COPYRIGHTED ‘PEANUTS’ SONG

"A month after Stephen Colbert played copyrighted Peanuts music during the final taping of The Late Show in a joking effort to get CBS sued, the TV network has signed a licensing deal to avoid any legal issues from the incident.

Lee Mendelson Film Productions — the owner of the music to the Charlie Brown franchise that just launched a legal blitz over its rights — said Tuesday (June 16) it had reached a resolution with CBS over the episode, in which Colbert deadpanned: “I hope this doesn’t cost CBS any money!”

The agreement will see CBS take a license for “Linus and Lucy,” the unofficial Peanuts theme that Colbert’s band played on the air during the show. The proceeds from the deal will be donated to the charity World Central Kitchen, run by Chef José Andrés."

Randy Maniloff

, Wall Street Journal; I Have a Dream—and a Copyright

Clarence Jones had the presence of mind to protect Martin Luther King’s speech.

"Clarence Jones, lawyer and speechwriter for Martin Luther King Jr., died last month at 95. King’s confidante is credited with helping the civil-rights leader draft the famous 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech."

Dr. Philipp Mels, orka: "The biggest battle in the 21st century will be AI versus Copyright"; Leaders League, June 15, 2026

Leaders League; Dr. Philipp Mels, orka: "The biggest battle in the 21st century will be AI versus Copyright"

"Dr. Philipp Mels, Managing Partner at orka, comments on the use of AI in the context of intellectual property rights, trade secrets, and data protection.

LEADERS LEAGUE: In addition to the AI Act, which areas of law require particular attention when developing, operating, and using AI?

Philipp Mels: In addition to the AI Act, the most important areas of law regarding the use of AI are clearly intellectual property rights, trade secret protection, and data protection...

Why is the use of trade secrets in AI systems so legally risky?

In practice, the most relevant risk for companies is not so much the violation of third-party trade secrets, but rather the fact that employees may enter trade secrets into the AI system. This can be seen as evidence that the company, as the owner of the trade secret, has failed to take the necessary and appropriate measures to ensure confidentiality. As a result, the company loses the protection afforded to those trade secrets.

How significant is the conflict between AI providers and operators on the one hand, and creators or copyright holders on the other?

You may be surprised by my choice of words. The biggest battle that providers and operators of AI systems must fight in the 21st century is against copyright holders, who understandably want to take action against the infringement of their copyrights."

Publishers Sue WeLib for Copyright Infringement; Publishers Weekly, June 16, 2026

  Jim Milliot , Publishers Weekly; Publishers Sue WeLib for Copyright Infringement

"Fresh off of last month’s victory against pirate web site Anna’s Archive, 13 publishers across all segments of the industry have allied to sue yet another pirate site, WeLib, for copyright infringement.

The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, charges that the operators of WeLib “ copied the source code and most of the contents of” Anna's Archive."

The plaintiffs include the Big Five, Cengage, Elsevier, McGraw Hill, Pearson, Taylor & Francis, and Wiley.

“Defendants boast that they have reproduced ‘an endless collection of literature, research papers, and education materials,’ none of which they own or have licensed,” the complaint alleges. 

According to its website and repeated in the lawsuit, WeLib hosts over 43 million books and 98 million papers, and its stolen collection of literary works has purportedly attracted over 80,000 active monthly users. According to the website, WeLib’s users have illegally accessed over 51 million books in the last month alone, or an average of over 1.7 million books per day."

UI Center for Intellectual Freedom book on hold over copyright concerns; The Gazette, June 15, 2026

 Vanessa Miller, The Gazette; UI Center for Intellectual Freedom book on hold over copyright concerns

"A book the University of Iowa-based Center for Intellectual Freedom director announcedwas in the works late last year is on hold over copyright concerns about who might get the proceeds — despite UI assurances they would go to the center."

AI In the Public Interest: Authorship & Copyright in the Age of AI; JD Supra, June 11, 2026

J. Jekkie Kim, Ariel Soiffer , JD Supra; AI In the Public Interest: Authorship & Copyright in the Age of AI

"In the Public Interest is excited to present the new miniseries, “AI In the Public Interest.” These episodes will examine AI’s impact on the legal landscape and its broader implications for the day-to-day operations of organizations across industries. With the wider prevalence of companies utilizing AI to assist in decision making and determine future frameworks, these conversations will not only take stock of the current state of AI, but will also offer practical insights into what the future may hold. 

The first episode kicks off with a conversation between co-host Jekkie Kim and Partner and Chair of WilmerHale’s AI Technology Transactions Practice Ariel Soiffer. Together they discuss AI through the lens of ownership and copyright, examining guidance from the Copyright Office as to who and what can be a content author. Soiffer also identifies what current protections are in place for those attempting to copyright content that has been created with the involvement of AI. He stresses how important it is for creators and companies alike to document their creative outputs and offers a look into the increasingly complex questions surrounding authorship."

Japan underlines stance on copyright works after Trump anime video post; Kyodo News, Japan Wire, June 12, 2026

 Kyodo News, Japan Wire; Japan underlines stance on copyright works after Trump anime video post

"A Japanese minister on Friday underlined the government's stance on unauthorized use of copyrighted works, after U.S. President Donald Trump posted a video on social media appearing to depict him as the hero of anime series "Naruto."

Without commenting directly on the video, Kimi Onoda, minister for the "Cool Japan" strategy of promoting Japanese cultural exports, told a press conference that the "basic principle" of obtaining permission from rights holders to use copyrighted material "applies equally when the user is a public institution."

Dutch far-right party pays damages to court artist after changing image with AI; The Guardian, June 13, 2026

 Senay Boztas, The Guardian; Dutch far-right party pays damages to court artist after changing image with AI

"A Dutch court artist has received damages after an MP for the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) used one of her drawings without permission and manipulated it with AI to make the subjects look more menacing.

Petra Urban, a court artist for 19 years, was shocked to discover a drawing she had made last year of two Syrian brothers jailed for the murder of their sister had been reworked and used in a video on Instagram and Facebook by the party’s Noord-Brabant region...

Under Dutch law, creators are not only protected by copyright but also have moral rights to object to any distortion of their work that could harm their reputation. There was widespread shock in May after Urban shared the images with fellow court reporters, and the case had widespread press coverage.

Urban said that after her union issued a legal demand for licensing rights and damages, the PVV MP Maikel Boon called her to apologise and has now paid the damages – which have not been made public.

Since the MP had previously been accused of using AI to manipulate images for campaign purposes, she felt “no mercy” in demanding compensation. “I hope it’s clear that this is a worrying development and that we need to stay alert,” she said. “You need to be able to assume that journalistic work is written, drawn, photographed or filmed as neutrally as possible. If this is manipulated, then the flood gates are open. There’s no knowing where it will end.”...

The MP has publicly accepted responsibility and told De Telegraaf he had thought an altered image would no longer be subject to copyright but that it had been a “very stupid act”."

Primanti Bros. faces lawsuit over mural; TribLive, June 12, 2026

 Julia Burdelski and Megan Trotter, TribLive ; Primanti Bros. faces lawsuit over mural

"A local artist in a lawsuit filed Thursday accused Primanti Bros. of reproducing a mural he painted at the sandwich shop’s Market Square location without his permission.

Artist James Kanfoush in the lawsuit claimed Primanti Bros. violated copyright rules and the Visual Artists Rights Act by displaying replicas of his mural at their Cranberry and Grove City restaurants.

Kanfoush in 1997 and 1998 created an original mural featuring famous Pittsburgh sports figures at the restaurant’s Market Square site. The artwork includes Kanfoush’s name and contact information."

AI company argues its use of scraped Westlaw legal data was transformative; Courthouse News Service, June 11, 2026

 SYDNEY HAULENBEEK , Courthouse News Service; AI company argues its use of scraped Westlaw legal data was transformative

"“Fair use ruling here brings into question the core technology of the AI revolution,” Mark S. Davies of White & Case in Washington, attorney for ROSS, argued...

“This is a copyright case,” he said. “It’s an interesting case, it raises lots of issues, but it’s a copyright case and the point of copyright is progress.”

“Copyright is not a privilege reserved for the well-behaved,” Davies added."

Copyright law ‘struggling’ to parse AI’s ascendancy; Harvard Law Today, June 10, 2026

 Rebecca Beyer, Harvard Law Today; Copyright law ‘struggling’ to parse AI’s ascendancy

"Deferring hard decisions about which kinds of machine-assisted creative works can be copyrighted over nearly 250 years has made it harder to ascertain whether works produced with the help of artificial intelligence can receive legal protection, according to Harvard Law School Professor Rebecca Tushnet...

Tushnet, the Frank Stanton Professor of the First Amendment, spoke as part of a panel discussion, “Copyright in AI Outputs: Who Owns AI-Created Works?,” that was presented by HLS Beyond in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s March decision to deny certiorari in Thaler v. Perlmutter, a case in which lower courts upheld the Copyright Office’s decision not to issue a copyright to an AI-generated image because “copyright law … requires human authorship.” Matt Kristoffersen ’27 moderated the discussion, which included Boston University School of Law Professor Jessica Silbey, Harvard Law Professor Christopher T. Bavitz, and an extensive Q&A session with audience members."

Rare Full Court Rehearing Granted in Copyright Case Against Kat Von D’s Miles Davis Tattoo; PetaPixel, June 10, 2026

 THOMAS MADDREY, PetaPixel; Rare Full Court Rehearing Granted in Copyright Case Against Kat Von D’s Miles Davis Tattoo

"On June 9, Chief Judge for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Mary H. Murguia issued an Order in the case of Jeffery B. Sedlik v. Katherine von Drachenberg, aka Kat Von D, et. al. granting an en banc rehearing by the full court...

In a nutshell, this rare move by the Court tells the litigants that even though a panel of three Ninth Circuit judges have rendered an opinion in the case, the question is unsettled enough that a hearing by the full 11-judge panel is warranted. 

This is not a common occurrence: in 2024, for example, the Court received 625 petitions for en banc review, 29 cases were then voted on by the Court to see if they should be heard, and only nine cases succeeded in that vote. In some years, this number increases, but rarely are more than 20 cases a year granted such a special evaluation. The Court reserved this designation for those cases that indicate a clear split with other Circuit Courts around the country, cases that are likely to be reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court, and if the issues presented affect many others similarly situated, among other considerations. This case checks all those boxes."

Congress Just Rushed Through a Disastrous Copyright Office Overhaul; Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), June 10, 2026

 JOE MULLIN , Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF); Congress Just Rushed Through a Disastrous Copyright Office Overhaul; Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)

"In a voice vote earlier this week, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 6028, the “Legislative Branch Agencies Clarification Act.” The legislation is presented as a technical reorganization of some government agencies, but it’s much more than that. 

H.R. 6028 would fundamentally change the U.S. Copyright Office, and not in a good way. The bill removes the Library of Congress’ current supervisory role over the Copyright Office, transfers several powers directly to the Register of Copyrights, and makes the Register a presidential appointee, confirmed by the Senate. 

These changes would make an office that’s already hugely influential in copyright and tech policy much more political. EFF first explained why that’s a terrible idea when it came up nearly a decade ago. This bill, like the older one, weakens the few public-interest checks and balances that do exist.  We hope the Senate promptly rejects this bill."