The second quarter of 2026 brought significant developments at the intersection of entertainment, copyright, and artificial intelligence — both within Nigeria and globally. This edition of the Entertainment Law Digest covers regulatory scrutiny of copyright administration, landmark AI-related litigation involving major record labels and global artists, and a pivotal U.S. Supreme Court ruling on ISP liability.
HIGHLIGHTS IN THIS EDITION:
Nigerian House of Representatives Launches Investigation into Alleged Copyright Royalty Diversion
The House of Representatives has opened a formal probe into allegations that intellectual property revenues were diverted from rightful creative owners under the immediate past Attorney-General and Minister of Justice. Initiated by lawmaker Hon. Nkemkanma Kama following sustained pressure from the Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) and industry stakeholders, the House Committee on Justice has been mandated to interface with the Federal Ministry of Justice, the Nigerian Copyright Commission, and industry stakeholders under Section 88 of the Constitution.
IFPI Africa Conference Calls for Copyright Enforcement Reform
The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry hosted its Africa Performance Rights Conference in Lagos on 31 March–1 April 2026, convening record label executives, collective management organisations, and government officials including Nigeria’s Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy. Discussions centred on licensing reform, digital piracy enforcement, and establishing clearer contractual parameters for AI developers using copyrighted catalogs.
U.S. Musicians’ Union Sues Universal Music and Warner Music Over AI Licensing
On 5 June 2026, the American Federation of Musicians filed suit against Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group, alleging the labels licensed sound recordings to AI platforms Suno and Udio without notifying or compensating the session musicians involved — a potential breach of the industry-wide Sound Recording Labor Agreement.
Taylor Swift’s Trademark Filings to Protect Her Voice and Image From AI Deepfakes
Taylor Swift, through TAS Rights Management, filed three USPTO trademark applications on 24 April 2026 — including two “sound marks” for her spoken voice and a visual mark from her Eras Tour — in a novel attempt to combat unauthorised AI deepfakes.
Zee Entertainment Sues Reliance-Disney Joint Venture Over Music Copyright
Zee Entertainment filed a 1,800-page suit against JioStar (the Reliance-Disney media venture) at the Delhi High Court, alleging unlawful use of its music catalog after licensing agreements lapsed, and is seeking roughly US$3 million in initial damages.
Dua Lipa’s Reported Personality-Rights Lawsuit
Dua Lipa filed suit against Samsung Electronics in a California court, seeking US$15 million over the unauthorised use of a copyrighted festival photograph on retail packaging, raising questions about liability across corporate licensing supply chains.
U.S. Supreme Court Decision in Cox Communications v. Sony Music
In a unanimous ruling on 25 March 2026, the Supreme Court held that internet service providers cannot be held contributorily liable for subscribers’ copyright infringement based merely on generalised awareness — a significant limitation on rights holders’ ability to pursue ISPs for piracy.
European Creator Coalition Demands Reform in Music Streaming and AI Regulation
The European Composer and Songwriter Alliance hosted a conference in Brussels on 2 June 2026, bringing together EU policymakers to address generative AI’s impact on streaming royalties and to push for mandatory transparency and authorisation requirements for AI companies using creative works.
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