Two weeks ago, we learned of Ultra Music's lawsuit against YouTuber Michelle Phan, a makeup vlogger that's being sued for her use of material from the Ultra Music catalog (some reports say that Ultra is looking for "$150,000 for each proven copyright infringement"). It's another example of copyright infringement being a very real thing, and as we move into EDM generating more and more capital, we're seeing everything from SoundCloud reactions to things like this, where millions of views on YouTube could end up meaning larger lawsuits being lobbied against those deemed to be infringing.
Since that story broke, the BBC reported that attorneys for Michelle Phan claim that she not only received confirmation from Ultra that should could use their songs, but that she was planning on suing Ultra, stating that "Michelle's intention has always been to promote other artists, creating a platform for their work to be showcased to an international audience. Kaskade, whose music has been featured in Michelle's videos, has publicly defended Michelle against Ultra's claims and acknowledges the success he's gained from her support," which he has. It looks like she's getting set to fight this one, but we'll see what evidence she has that holds up in court to Ultra saying she can use the material, which seems to be key.
This week, Ultra sent out the following statement. It doesn't mention this case, nor does it specifically state what drove it to be presented, but it's out there:
When a music artist or songwriter signs to Ultra, it is our responsibility to protect what they have created. Enforcing copyrights is fundamental to the survival of artists, writers and producers, and to Ultra's ability to continue to invest in and support them, so that they can continue to bring great music to music fans around the world. Whatever Ultra collects enforcing these important rights is shared with its artists according to their agreements.
Sounds like they're basically saying "hate if you want, we're doing this for our artists," but we're not sure what prompted it. Was the backlash getting to be too much? Is it a part of their overall defense? Time will tell. We'll keep you posted on further developments in this case.
