On Tuesday (July 7), Primary Wave officially passed all relevant regulatory scrutiny and closed its acquisition of Kobalt, Billboard has confirmed. The deal is estimated to be worth more than $1.5 billion.

The possibility of the deal was first reported by Billboard in February. At the time, it was estimated that if Primary Wave and Kobalt were to go through with it, the combined companies would be worth $7 billion in assets. By March 23, a press release announced that Primary Wave’s acquisition was officially happening and would include Kobalt’s worldwide operations, its catalog of copyrights and digital collection society AMRA.

Under the new ownership of Primary Wave, the two companies will continue to operate as standalone firms. Kobalt will retain CEO Laurent Hubert as its leader.

Primary Wave and Kobalt are both indie music giants in their own right, but the two have different focuses. Primary Wave is focused on big-name catalog acquisitions, with a portfolio containing stakes in catalogs from Prince, Whitney Houston, James Brown, Stevie Nicks, Luther Vandross, Bob Marley, Britney Spears and Jackson Brown. Kobalt has a different approach, focusing on offering a large roster of current songwriting talent with publishing administration aid and help collecting royalties, among other services, for signees like Phoebe Bridgers, Panic! At the Disco, Childish Gambino, Bon Iver, Kali Uchis, Paul McCartney and more.

Kobalt often ranks on Billboard’s Publishers’ Quarterly list as the largest independent music publisher by market share. In 2022, it was acquired by a group of investors led by Francisco Partners (which held a controlling 90% interest) in a deal that valued the company at around $750 million. Since then, the company has continued to grow its roster and improve profits. In recent years, Kobalt launched KOSIGN, its solution for young songwriters looking for flexible deal terms, and launched a joint venture with Morgan Stanley’s Tactical Value group with $700 million to invest in music copyrights.

While Primary Wave has ownership in an enviable catalog of hit songs, it’s historically been dependent on other publishers — including but not limited to Kobalt — to handle publishing administration. Sometimes, when Primary Wave acquires a catalog, the songs will be tied up in other incomplete publishing deals. For those catalogs that are free to move publishers, Primary Wave often assigns their administration, with songwriter consent, to Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG), sources say.

Now, Primary Wave has administration services at the ready in-house. It now also owns Kobalt’s AMRA, the global music collection organization that collects mechanical and performance royalties directly from digital services providers, which could help Primary Wave cut down on fees paid to local societies and subpublishers.

Record label GTS and Telemundo have entered a strategic alliance around Operación Triunfo Estados Unidos, the U.S. adaptation of the long-running Spanish music competition franchise, which premieres Tuesday (July 7) at 7 p.m. ET. Under the agreement, GTS will have a preferential right to sign artists emerging from the program and will also participate in the development of a potential concert tour.

“It is a source of pride — and a responsibility — for GTS to take part in the first edition of Operación Triunfo Estados Unidos alongside Telemundo,” Narcís Rebollo, CEO and president of GTS, said in a statement. “This year also marks the 25th anniversary of the format’s creation, whose development I had the opportunity to be part of from the very beginning, both in management and on the record label side, together with its creators, José María Mainat, Toni Cruz and Joan Ramon Mainat, achieving historic results for television, the recording industry and artist management from Spain.”

He continued, “I am convinced that we will discover great new talent in this first U.S. edition, and we will devote all our effort and professionalism to making that possible once again.”

Javier Pons, chief content officer and head of Telemundo Studios, added: “We are thrilled to join forces with GTS on the first edition of Operación Triunfo in the United States. This alliance allows us not only to discover and train a new generation of Latino talent in the country, representative of diverse nationalities, but also to help drive their careers beyond the program, giving them real opportunities for artistic development and visibility in the music industry.”

The deal further strengthens GTS’ position in discovery, development and international projection of Latin talent, while giving Telemundo an industry partner to help extend the show’s impact beyond the screen.

The arrival of Operación Triunfo in the U.S. marks a new chapter for one of Spanish-language entertainment’s most influential music franchises. Since launching in Spain in 2001, the format has helped introduce artists including David Bisbal, David Bustamante, Pablo López, Amaia, Aitana, Lola Índigo, Juanjo Bona and Chiara Oliver.

A new lawsuit alleges the hit 2023 NewJeans song “ETA” stole multiple elements from an instrumental dance track released nearly two decades earlier.

The Tuesday (July 7) legal complaint, first obtained and reported by Billboard, levels copyright infringement claims against NewJeans members Minji, Hanni, Haerin, Hyein and Danielle, as well as their label ADOR and parent company HYBE. The lawsuit also names various writers, producers and companies involved in the creation and distribution of “ETA,” which was part of NewJeans’ chart-topping EP Get Up and hit No. 4 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. Songs chart in August 2023.

A company called All Surface Publishing is claiming that “ETA” lifts instrumentals from “Samir’s Theme,” a 2005 dance track by the producer DJ Debonair Samir. Specifically, the lawsuit says both songs feature the same syncopated melodic horns, bass drums and rhythmic structures.

“Defendants, and each of them, included a combination of elements in ‘ETA’s’ musical composition (and sound recording embodying that composition) that is strikingly and/or substantially similar, and indeed virtually identical, to an original combination of elements from ‘Samir’s Theme’ without a license from or compensation to All Surface,” reads the complaint.

Multiple music critics pointed out the similarities between the two songs when NewJeans released Get Up in 2023. Pitchfork wrote that “ETA” “takes horns from the Baltimore club classic ‘Samir’s Theme,’” and Paste said the song features “a blaring horn line lifted from the quintessential 2000s Baltimore club track ‘Samir’s Theme.’”

All Surface says it sent a cease-and-desist letter to the various defendants last month, but no resolution was reached. The publisher is now seeking unspecified financial damages, including a portion of the “significant revenue and profits” generated by “ETA.”

Reps for HYBE and ADOR did not immediately return a request for comment on the lawsuit.

This is not the first time All Surface has brought copyright infringement litigation over “Samir’s Theme.” In 2024, the publisher sued Pitbull’s label, Mr. 305 Inc., for allegedly copying the track on his 2021 dance hit “I Feel Good.” That case ended in a settlement last year.

NewJeans, meanwhile, was hit with a different copyright lawsuit two months ago claiming its 2024 song “How Sweet” used elements from a songwriting demo without compensation. ADOR denied those claims in a statement to Billboard, saying “no form of copying or infringement took place.”

The group and its label home have been embroiled in an internal legal battle of their own over the last several years. In 2024, all five original members attempted to sever ties with ADOR and go independent under the new moniker NJZ following the controversial firing of CEO Min Hee-jin. This led to a lawsuit, and ADOR ultimately prevailed when a South Korean court ruled in October that the women must remain under an exclusive contract until 2029.

In the wake of that ruling, Hanni, Haerin and Hyein all decided to return to ADOR and resume working with the label. Minji is still deciding whether to do the same. Danielle will not be part of NewJeans’ future; she was formally dropped from the group in December and is now facing further legal action from ADOR over her role in the attempted breakaway.

Zara Larsson has signed with RCA Records, a source confirmed withBillboard. The singer-songwriter was previously with Epic Records, her label home for more than a decade.

The signing was first reported by Hits Daily Double.

Larsson, a native of Sweden, has released a total of five studio albums, including her debut, 1, in 2014 when she was just 16. But she scored a major breakout beginning last fall, when her verse on the remix of PinkPantheress’ “Stateside” caught fire and eventually landed at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200.

Meanwhile, her 2016 single “Lush Life” went viral on TikTok, pushing the song back onto the Hot 100, where it peaked at No. 35. The renewed interest around the singer’s catalog pushed “Midnight Sun,” the title track from her 2025 album, into the upper reaches of the Hot 100, where it hit a new peak of No. 19 on the chart dated July 4. Last month, the song also landed at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Pop Airplay chart, where it has remained for 23 weeks.

In the wake of this burst of success, Larsson was named Billboard‘s Women in Music Breakthrough for 2026.

“I think this year cemented me as not only a girl with popular songs,” Larsson said in an April interview with Billboard, “but a girl worth talking about in pop culture.”

Larsson released the remix album Midnight Sun: Girls Trip in May.

RCA did not immediately respond to a request for comment/confirmation on the signing.

Alexi Cory-Smith, co-founder and CEO of London-based catalog firm Bella Figura Music, and formerly an executive at BMG’s U.K. division, has died. She was 58.

“We are devastated to announce the sudden and unexpected passing of our co-founder and CEO, Alexi Cory-Smith,” said a statement released on Friday (July 3) by Bella Figura, who manages the rights of evergreen hits like Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” and The Human League’s “Don’t You Want Me.”

“Alexi built Bella Figura Music from the ground up, bringing the vision and passion from a successful career in the music industry. Her leadership, creativity, and unwavering commitment to our team and our work leaves a lasting legacy,” the firm said in remembrance of Cory-Smith.

“Our thoughts are with Alexi’s family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time,” the statement continued. “We ask that their privacy be respected. We are committed to honouring Alexi’s vision and achievements and will share further updates when we are able. In the meantime, our focus is on supporting one another and remembering an extraordinary leader who meant so much to all of us.”

In a statement sent to Billboard, BPI (British Recorded Music Industry) CEO Jo Twist said, “We are profoundly saddened to learn of the passing of Alexi Cory-Smith.  She made a highly valued contribution as a leading figure in our music industry, including as BPI Council member when representing BMG, and we extend our sincere condolences to her family, friends and colleagues on their great loss.”

Cory-Smith opened the doors of Bella Figura in 2022 alongside longtime colleague Neelesh Prabhu.

“For us, it’s quality, class, it’s successful, it’s curatable. I began Bella Figura with a very simple thing: I wanted to own my own publishing company,” Cory-Smith said in an interview on The Money Trench podcast, speaking of her turn to entrepreneurship after accumulating years of professional experience across major labels.

Of putting everything into Bella Figura, she noted, “It’s the best thing I ever did in my life, personally, selfishly and professionally. I love this business … It’s learning and doing and making mistakes all at the same time, but it’s fantastic. It’s the thing I’m proudest of. It’s the thing, I love it, I get up every day super excited.”

As of 2025, Bella Figura had accumulated a portfolio worth more than $160 million. The London-based firm made a push into the U.S. market, bringing on industry vet Gary Gersh as chairman and to open an office in Los Angeles last year.

An acquisition of producer/songwriter Paul Epworth’s publishing catalog in April 2026 added more major hits to the firm’s growing collection — including co-writes and productions from Adele’s 21 (“Rolling in the Deep”) and the James Bond theme “Skyfall,” and his work from Florence + The Machine’s Lungs and Ceremonials albums. “For us, acquiring Paul’s catalog defines what Bella Figura was built to do,” Cory-Smith said at the time. “His body of work speaks for itself. Songs that have moved hundreds of millions of people and stand the test of time.”

Before launching Bella Figura, Cory-Smith held notable leadership roles at BMG U.K. over the course of several years — last serving as president, repertoire and marketing, at the time of her departure from the company in 2017. There, she led the label’s publishing and recordings business, spearheading relationships with key artists including the Rolling Stones and Roger Waters.

“The Rolling Stones deal — well, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards specifically, because it was about them as writers and the songs — that was for me, a turning point. Very distinctly,” she said in her appearance on The Money Trench, recounting a milestone professional accomplishment.

Prior to BMG, she worked at Virgin, EMI and more, after moving her way up from being what she humbly described as “basically office junior, girl Friday, do it all” at her first job in the business, at IRS Records.

Unaware of the opportunities that she’d one day make for herself in the music industry, she originally thought she’d be a criminal lawyer. “I was going to save the innocent man from the establishment,” she recalled on The Money Trench. Though criminal law wasn’t her calling, she found she loved the work of making a deal and did pursue a law degree she’d apply to her career in music, before delving into learning and becoming an expert in the publishing business.

“It was worth every second and every penny and every tear,” she said of the work she and her team have put into continuously building Bella Figura. “I don’t regret a second, but it wasn’t easy.”

“I’d like it to go and go,” she said of her vision of her firm’s future.

Disgraced British glam rock star Gary Glitter has been charged with additional counts of child sexual abuse in the U.K.

The 82-year-old “Rock and Roll” singer (real name Paul Gadd) has repeatedly been convicted of pedophilia and is currently serving a 16-year prison sentence in England for sexually abusing three young girls in the 1970s. On Thursday (July 2), London’s Metropolitan Police and the Crown Prosecution Service accused him of abusing a fourth girl under the age of 13 during that same period at a home in Kensington.

“This follows allegations made by a woman relating to a period of alleged abuse that took place between 1978 and 1981,” said lead prosecutor Bethan David in a public announcement. “Our prosecutors have worked to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring this case to court and that it is in the public interest to do so.”

Glitter is charged in this new case with one count of unlawful sexual intercourse with a child and three counts of indecent assault. Police say the victim reported the alleged crimes in January 2025 and that Glitter was interviewed as part of their lengthy investigation before charges were filed.

The former pop star is set to appear in Westminster Magistrates’ Court to address the charges on Aug. 5. He could not immediately be reached for comment on Thursday.

Glitter has been a convicted sex offender since 1999, when he pled guilty in the U.K. to possessing child sexual abuse material. In 2006, he was sentenced to three years in a Vietnamese prison for sexually abusing two girls aged 10 and 11 in the country.

The singer was then arrested again in London in 2012 as part of “Operation Yewtree,” a massive U.K. probe into historical child sex abuse that stemmed from allegations against late BBC television host Jimmy Savile. Glitter was convicted in 2015 of abusing three young girls and sentenced to 16 years in prison.

He was initially granted probation after serving half the sentence in 2023, but returned to jail within a month after breaching the terms of his release. He remains incarcerated at Channings Wood Prison in Devon, England.

A federal judge is refusing to decide whether reggaeton duo Steely & Clevie invented the genre’s signature dembow rhythm, ruling that only a jury can make that conclusion in a sprawling copyright lawsuit targeting Bad Bunny, Karol G and more than a hundred other artists.

Judge André Birotte Jr. dropped a long-awaited summary judgment ruling on Thursday (July 2) in the long-running case alleging that nearly 2,000 tracks by more than 150 artists copied Steely & Clevie’s 1989 song “Fish Market.” In this first phase of the litigation, Cleveland “Clevie” Browne and the heirs of Wycliffe “Steely” Johnson asked the judge to determine that “Fish Market” was indeed the original, copyrightable source of dembow — the boom-ch-boom-chick percussion that’s now a hallmark of reggaeton.

Lawyers representing the many defendants — including Pitbull, Drake, Daddy Yankee, Luis Fonsi and Justin Bieber, plus units of all three major music companies — countered that Steely & Clevie have no valid copyright claim because this sonic element “exists in countless prior works and musical genres,” including the centuries-old habanera rhythm.

Thursday’s ruling, first obtained and reported by Billboard, essentially kicks the can down the road on the dispute. Judge Birotte said both sides have built credible cases that conflict directly with each other, meaning a jury trial is the only proper method to decide whether “Fish Market” is copyrightable as the origin of dembow.

“The evidentiary record presents competing, facially credible expert opinions regarding what elements exist in the claimed works, how those elements function musically, whether they are commonplace or original, and whether they form a coherent and protectable selection and arrangement,” wrote the judge. “Virtually none of these facts fall into the undisputed category that the court may consider on a motion for summary judgment. Put simply, plaintiffs’ experts advance one account of the relevant musical features and their significance, while defendants’ experts offer a fundamentally different interpretation of those same features. These are classic disputes of fact, not law.”

Now, the lawsuit will head to a second phase of discovery on the question of infringement — that is, whether there’s evidence that more than 150 defendants in the case had access to “Fish Market” and did indeed copy it for the various songs at issue, including chart-toppers like “Despacito”, “Tití Me Preguntó” and “Dame Tu Cosita.” Further briefing and a potential jury trial will follow unless the many litigants can all agree on a settlement.

A lawyer for Steely & Clevie, Stephen Doniger, told Billboard in a Thursday statement, “We are pleased that the court largely rejected the defendants’ arguments but disappointed that it did not grant our client’s affirmative summary judgment motion.”

“It is hard to imagine how any jury could find the Dem Bow Riddim to be anything other than an original and protectable work given the undisputed evidence that it is made up of seven discrete elements combined in a way that no one has found in any work predating our clients’ ‘Fish Market,’” added Doniger. “That said, we have little doubt that a jury will see through [the defendants’] arguments and we look forward to the next steps in this case.” 

The legal team representing the majority of defendants in the case did not immediately return a request for comment.

The dembow case is a big deal because of its sheer scope, with hundreds of millions of dollars in potential damages at stake. Experts have also warned that it could have an immensely disruptive impact on reggaeton — a booming genre that has risen alongside Bad Bunny from the clubs of Puerto Rico to the stages of the Grammys and the Super Bowl Halftime Show. Back in 2023, Duke University law professor Jennifer Jenkins told Billboard that a win for Steely & Clevie “would confer a monopoly over an entire genre, something unprecedented in music copyright litigation.”

MELBOURNE, Australia — David Vodicka has a new law firm.

The Melbourne-based independent music chief and preeminent music lawyer launched David Vodicka Music & Entertainment Lawyers on Wednesday (July 1)

The new firm rises from Media Arts Lawyers, which Vodicka shutters after more than 25 years.

“I’ve spent much of my career inside the music industry, not just advising it. As a lawyer, record label founder, music publisher, broadcaster, board director and industry advocate, I’ve had the opportunity to see this (entertainment) business from a few different angles. That experience will continue to inform how I think, how I advise, and what I value,” Vodicka writes in a post on LinkedIn.

“Over time, it’s reinforced something I’ve always believed: the most valuable advice comes long before a contract is negotiated, a dispute emerges, or a transaction reaches the table,” he continues. “It comes from understanding the industry, recognising the dynamics that matter, and helping clients navigate the decisions that shape careers, businesses, and creative assets — at all stages.”

As principal and founding partner in Media Arts Lawyers, Vodicka was a regular entry in Billboard‘s list of Top Music Lawyers, while the business represented the likes of Courtney Barnett, Flume, Gotye, Tame Impala, Kylie Minogue, Daniel Johns, AIR, and many others. The business was active in artist and talent representation, rights and licensing, music industry transactions, acquisitions and complex commercial negotiations, including more than A$300 million ($207.2 million) in mergers, acquisitions, catalog sales, investments and transactions involving entertainment, media and creative industry assets.

Vodicka also serves as the board chair of the Australian Independent Record Labels Association (AIR) and serves as board member of ARIA and RISING.

Through his new venture, Vodicka will continue to work alongside artists, rights holders, executives and entertainment businesses on “significant negotiations, transactions, disputes and strategic decisions,” reads a statement, “bringing decades of industry experience to matters where outcomes are shaped as much by insight and perspective as they are by contracts.”

A statement on Media Arts Lawyers’ website reads: “After more than 25 years advising clients across the entertainment, media and creative industries, Media Arts Lawyers has reached an important milestone in its evolution.” The partners “will continue their practices through their respective new business entities.” Two of those partners, Julian Hewitt and Rob Glass, are behind the new firm, Hewitt Glass Law.

“Media Arts Lawyers was an extraordinary chapter,” Vodicka continues.

The Melbourne scene builder and legal veteran adds: “To everyone who was part of the Media Arts Lawyers story: thank you. It was a privilege. To clients, friends and industry colleagues, I look forward to continuing the conversation.”

Visit davidvodicka.com.au for more.

New evidence has emerged in Pooh Shiesty’s robbery case alleging that the Memphis rapper forced Gucci Mane to sign his release from 1017 Records at gunpoint while on federal home confinement.

After Shiesty’s (born Lontrell Williams Jr.) bail was denied in Texas federal court in May, the “Back in Blood” rapper’s attorneys filed a motion to review his detention orders. On June 24, prosecutors responded with a filing, viewed by Billboard, that alleges they have strong proof of Shiesty’s guilt — including video footage of the alleged armed robbery and kidnapping, along with a copy of the “release of contract” Mane was allegedly forced to sign to free Shiesty from his label deal.

The prosecution claims that the footage shows Mane in the studio being forced to declare that Shiesty was “dropped” from 1017 and out of his contract. Prosecutors also allege that the video matches the victims’ accounts of the robbery, which took place in January at a Dallas recording studio. An 8GB USB drive was also put forth as evidence by the prosecution, with a photo of the device included in the court documents.

Prosecutors allege that the “release of contract” agreement constitutes a “full termination and release” of Shiesty from his deal with 1017 Records, which signed him in 2020.

“Reference is hereby made to the agreement between 1017 Global Music LLC (‘Company’) and Lontrell Williams p/k/a Pooh Shiesty (‘Artist’) dated as of April 1, 2020 (the ‘Agreement’),” the paperwork allegedly reads. “The following, when signed by Artist and by Company (collectively the ‘Parties’), will constitute a full Termination and Release of the Agreement by the Parties.”

Shiesty, along with his father, Lontrell Williams Sr., and rapper Big30 (Rodney Lamont Wright Jr.), were among eight individuals arrested on April 1 over the alleged dispute, which is said to have taken place on Jan. 10 in Dallas.

Prosecutors previously alleged that Shiesty and his co-conspirators drew guns and barricaded Mane’s team inside the recording studio while they forced Mane to sign the release. The group is accused of stealing jewelry, Rolex watches and cash during the alleged altercation.

Shiesty’s trial was originally set for July, before being pushed back to Feb. 22, 2027. The Memphis rapper remains in custody.

The latest trial in a long-running legal battle pitting T.I. and Tameka “Tiny” Harris against toy company MGA ended in a loss for the power couple — but they’re still walking away with millions of dollars.  

Lawyers for T.I. and Tiny confirmed on Wednesday (July 1) that a federal jury rejected their request to tack additional damages onto the $18 million they previously won from MGA — the toy behemoth behind successful brands like Bratz and Little Tikes — for copying their teen pop group OMG Girlz with a line of “O.M.G.” dolls. At this trial, T.I. and Tiny argued that MGA should pay extra because the infringement was intentional and malicious. But the jury was unconvinced, rejecting the couple’s request to add so-called punitive damages.

In a statement to Billboard, the Harrises’ attorneys said they “appreciate the jury’s time and consideration but are disappointed in the verdict.”

“It’s clear from the evidence that MGA’s policies are inadequate to prevent this type of IP infringement and their document retention and collection procedures are equally as suspect,” said the musicians’ lawyers. “We will continue to fight for our clients’ rights and the rights of all creatives.”

Reps for MGA did not immediately return requests for comment on the verdict.

This was the fourth trial in six years of litigation over the O.M.G. dolls. T.I and Tiny began alleging in 2020 that MGA’s dolls ripped off the name, outfits and neon-colored hair of the OMG Girlz, a trio founded by the Harrises in 2009 and featuring their daughter Zonnique Pullins alongside Bahja Rodriguez and Breaunna Womack. MGA has consistently denied any infringement.

An initial trial in the case ended in a mistrial in 2023 due to improper testimony about racism, and a jury cleared MGA of all wrongdoing at a second trial the same year. But that verdict was wiped on appeal amid evolving Supreme Court precedent, teeing up a third trial in 2024. That time, a jury found that MGA intentionally copied the OMG Girlz and awarded $18 million in profits, plus $53 million in punitive damages for a total of $71 million.

Last summer, however, a judge wiped out the punitive damages after determining that the Harrises had not put forth “clear and convincing evidence of willful infringement or conscious disregard for the rights of others.” This led to a fourth mini-trial this month solely on the question of punitive damages, in which jurors sided with MGA on Wednesday and capped the verdict at $18 million.