According to IQ, they have reviewed multiple messages from different email accounts sent to promoters soliciting business from non-CAA email addresses and claiming that CAA changed addresses following a data breach.

Per IQ, they contents of one such email they reviewed sought to solicit dates for an upcoming Justin Bieber tour that is scheduled to begin on December 1st, 2024.

The purported scam is the latest iteration of long-standing fake concert scheme, which seeks to collect deposits for concerts that never materialize.

As always, take steps to protect yourself. Don’t rely exclusively on email communications and if something seems to good to be true, it likely is.

For additional tips, check Randy Chertkow and Jason Feehan of the Discmakers Blog’s guide to avoiding concert scams: https://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2020/03/guide-to-avoiding-music-business-scams.html

The post Report: Fake Agent Email Scam Targets Talent Buyers appeared first on CelebrityAccess.

According to documents shared on Hayes’ social media accounts, the family is demanding that Trump immediately stop playing the song and pay $3 million for its unauthorized use between 2022 and 2024. The lawsuit alleges that the copyright has been infringed 134 times. “Hold On, I’m Coming” was written by Hayes for the R&B duo Sam & Dave, and his estate owns the rights to the song.

In the letter, the Hayes family requests that all videos featuring Trump using the song be removed and that Trump’s campaign release an official statement acknowledging that the Hayes estate has not “authorized, endorsed, or permitted” the use of the song.

The family further stated that if these demands are unmet, they would “take all legal action required to enforce the infringed upon intellectual property rights, including but not limited to sending third-party takedown requests and federal litigation.”

Isaac Hayes III, the son of the late musician, also shared a statement on social media condemning Trump’s use of his father’s music: “Donald Trump epitomizes a lack of integrity and class, not only through his continuous use of my father’s music without permission but also through his history of sexual abuse against women and his racist rhetoric,” “This behavior will no longer be tolerated, and we will take swift action to put an end to it.”

Trump’s camp has yet to release a statement.

The post Isaac Hayes Estate Set To Sue Donald Trump For Copyright Infringement appeared first on CelebrityAccess.

According to the Associated Press, Suga, whose real name is Min Yoon-gi, was arrested on Tuesday night while driving an “electric kickboard” after allegedly falling over while trying to park.

A police officer noticed the spill and administered a breathalyzer test, which Suga reportedly did not pass. As a result, his license was revoked and he was hit with a fine, the AP said, citing a statement from Big Hit Records.

There appears to be some confusion over the nature of the vehicle Suga was alleged to be operating. While an electric kickboard typically refers to an electric vehicle that lacks a seat, police told local media that Suga’s vehicle had a seat and resembled a scooter, which can change the nature of penalty for the traffic offense.

It is unclear if police have begun the investigation process.

Suga later took to Hybe’s Weverse fan platform to apologize for the incident, stating that he was operating the vehicle after consuming alcohol at dinner.

The post BTS Member Suga Arrested For Alleged DUI appeared first on CelebrityAccess.

In a statement provided to NBC News, a representative for the Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed that Scott had been arrested in connection with an alleged assault of a hotel security officer.

According to the statement, the security guard attempted to intervene to separate the 33-year-old Scott from his bodyguard when the alleged attack occurred.

Scott, whose real name is Jacques Bermon Webster II, was still in custody on Friday afternoon with police preparing to interview him before deciding on potential charges.

It is unclear why Scott was in Paris but he has been spotted at Olympic events in recent days, including the men’s Olympic basketball semifinal on Thursday.

The post Travis Scott Arrested In Paris Following An Alleged Altercation At A Hotel appeared first on CelebrityAccess.

According to reports from the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office, Kim was indicted on Thursday (August 8) for violating the Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act. This indictment follows Kim’s arrest after a thorough investigation that has been ongoing for several months.

Former Kakao CEO Hong Eun-taek and Kim Sung-soo, the former CEO of Kakao Entertainment, were also indicted on the same day Kim was arrested, as reported by JoongAng Daily.

Prosecutors allege that Kim and other Kakao executives engaged in a deliberate campaign to inflate SM Entertainment’s stock price in order to outmaneuver HYBE during the bidding war. They claim that Kim and his associates injected KRW 240 billion (USD $174 million) into SM Entertainment stock across 553 transactions between February 16-17 and February 27-28, 2023.

Initially, Kim was only linked to the latter set of transactions, allegedly carried out with assistance from OneAsia Partners, an asset management firm connected to Kakao. However, further investigations have led prosecutors to believe that Kim was involved in all instances of the alleged stock manipulation, as reported by the Korea Herald.

Additionally, the CEO of OneAsia, identified only by the surname Ji, is also facing trial over the same allegations. Kakao’s Chief Investment Officer, Bae Jae-hyun, was arrested and indicted on similar charges last October.

Prosecutors further claim that Kim and Kakao violated South Korean securities laws by failing to disclose their acquisitions in SM Entertainment. South Korean law mandates that any entity holding more than a 5% stake in a publicly traded company must disclose their share purchases to regulators. At the time of the transactions, Kakao held an 8.16% stake in SM.

According to JoongAng Daily, in response to the indictment, Kakao issued a statement on Thursday expressing its intent to “diligently vindicate the facts during court trial” and to “minimize the management vacancy” caused by Kim’s arrest.

The transactions in question reportedly inflated SM’s stock price above KRW 120,000 ($87) per share, the same price HYBE paid when it acquired a 14.8% stake in SM from its founder, Lee Soo-man. HYBE was also offering to purchase additional shares at this price but ultimately withdrew from the bidding war, leaving Kakao in control with a 39.9% stake in SM.

Despite these serious allegations, Korean trade regulators approved Kakao’s takeover of SM Entertainment earlier this year, albeit with certain conditions designed to prevent Kakao from abusing its dominant position in the music market. Kakao owns Melon, South Korea’s largest music streaming service, which is now required to distribute music from competing labels and distributors.

Kakao also operates KakaoTalk, South Korea’s leading instant messaging service. Amid the ongoing criminal investigation, Kakao has experienced a significant decline in its stock value, losing more than 40% since the start of the bidding war for SM Entertainment. On Thursday, the stock was trading at around KRW 38,450, down from approximately KRW 67,000 in February of last year.

Original Story Below – Published July 17, 2024

The Seoul Southern District Prosecutors Office has requested an arrest warrant for Kim Beom-su, the billionaire founder of Kakao Corp., whose entertainment division now controls SM Entertainment (SM).

According to South Korean news reports, prosecutors claim that Beom-su violated South Korea’s Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act by allegedly plotting to manipulate SM’s stock price to push HYBE out of the bidding for the K-pop agency.

According to the Korea Herald, they allege that Beom-su and other Kakao executives inflated SM’s stock price by injecting KRW 240 billion (USD 174 million) into the company through 553 stock price purchases in mid to late February of 2023. Additionally, prosecutors accuse Kakao of failing to report its stake in SM during the bidding war. Private equity fund management firm OneAsia Partners is also accused of colluding with Beom-su in the stock manipulation, reports Korea JoongAng Daily.

The request for the tech giant founder’s arrest warrant comes shortly after he endured what JoongAng Daily described as “20 hours of intense interrogation” by authorities from July 9 into the early hours of July 10, during which Beom-su reportedly denied most allegations.

In a statement, Kim’s attorneys at Sejong Law Firm denied any wrongdoing by the Kakao founder.

“Kim Beom-su, chairman of Kakao’s Corporate Alignment Council, did not instruct nor condone any illegal activities regarding the purchase of SM Entertainment shares last year,” the attorney said in a press statement. “The transaction was a legitimate market purchase aimed at securing shares for business collaboration purchases. Nevertheless, we regret that this matter has progressed to a stage where the prosecution has filed for an arrest warrant. We will diligently explain and clarify these points during the warrant review process.” the statement read, as quoted by JoongAng Daily.

The Seoul Southern District Court will review the prosecution’s arrest warrant request on Monday (July 22).

SM is considered the second-largest K-pop company behind HYBE. Its roster includes popular acts like Vespa, EXO, Girls Generation, Red Velvet, and Super Junior.

During last year’s bidding war, the Herald reported that SM’s stock price soared above KRW 120,000 ($87) per share. This was the price at which HYBE had purchased 14.8% of SM from its founder, Lee Soo-man, and the fixed price at which it was buying shares from other shareholders.

The inflated stock price led to HYBE’s withdrawal from bidding, effectively allowing Kakao Corp. to control SM with a 39.9% stake.

However, HYBE filed a legal complaint against Kakao, alleging stock price manipulation, which prompted an investigation, including raids on Kakao’s headquarters and SM’s offices.

In October last year, Kakao’s Chief Investment Officer, Bae Jae-hyun, was arrested, and Seoul prosecutors indicted him for violating the Capital Markets Act. Bae and the chief executive of OneAsia Partners, identified only by the surname Ji, are currently standing trial on related charges.

Despite the accusations, Korean trade regulators approved the Kakao-SM deal earlier this year, with conditions to ensure Kakao doesn’t abuse its strong position in the music market. Among these conditions is a requirement for Kakao-owned Melon, South Korea’s largest music streaming service, to distribute music from labels and distributors that compete with SM.

The post Kakao Founder Kim Beom-Su Indicted On Stock Manipulation Charges appeared first on CelebrityAccess.

According to Fox 2 News, Nelly, whose real name is Cornell I. Haynes Jr., was taken into custody at approximately 4:45 a.m.

Scott Rosenblum, an attorney for the rapper told Fox News that his client was arrested at the casino that he frequently visits and entertains at after he won a jackpot. According to the attorney, an officer who oversees cash transfers from the casino ran a background check and discovered an outstanding warrant stemming from a 2018 traffic stop that was issued in December 2023.

Rosenblum told Fox that the officer said the background check was mandated but Rosenblum disputed that contention, claiming his client has won larger jackpots at the casino and not faced such an examination of his background.

During a search incident to arrest, police allege they discovered an illegal controlled substance in Nelly’s possession, identified in the arrest record as four pills of the drug ecstasy.

According to Fox, Nelly was transported to the Maryland Heights Police Department and was released a short time after his arrest.

In a partial statement provided to Fox, Rosenblum added:

“Under similar circumstances, assuming there was an old warrant without any notice to the individual for no proof of insurance, any other citizen would have been told to address it and allowed to go on their way.

“It is also important to note that Mr. Haynes, as part of the requirements to travel internationally, is regularly asked to supply proof of no warrants. Including FBI checks. There were none.

“I am 100% confident this case will go nowhere. And we will be asking for an inquiry into this officer’s conduct.”

The post Nelly Arrested In St. Louis appeared first on CelebrityAccess.

According to TMZ, the 43-year-old recording artist was placed in handcuffs on Sunday night at at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport based on an outstanding warrent for Clifford Harris – which is T.I.’s real name.

However, the warrant turned out to be for another man named Clifford Harris, who is wanted in Baltimore over allegations of stalking a woman.

Harris was taken to Clayton County Jail and briefly detained before he was released after contacting his attorney, TMZ reported.

A judge subsequently dismissed an extradition order related to the arrest.

The post Report: T.I. Arrested At Atlanta Airport In A Case Of Mistaken Identity appeared first on CelebrityAccess.

“For years, StubHub has illegally deceived District consumers through its convoluted junk fee scheme,” said Attorney General Schwalb. “StubHub lures consumers in by advertising a deceptively low price, forces them through a burdensome purchase process, and then finally reveals a total on the checkout page that is vastly higher than the originally advertised ticket price. This is no accident—StubHub intentionally hides the true price to boost profits at its customers’ expense. The District is home to one of the nation’s largest and most vibrant live entertainment scenes, and StubHub’s predatory tactics disproportionately harm District residents. That is why today we’re suing to end StubHub’s exploitative pricing scheme.”

In an example from the lawsuit, StubHub advertised two tickets for $356 total, but the final cost with mandatory fees bumped the final due to $497. The complaint alleges StubHub defaulted to hiding its mandatory fees and that it offered consumers the option to view the total price of the tickets through an “Estimated Fees Filter” buried deep within its browser settings. But, according to the filing, that claim was false until March 2024, with StubHub adding surprise fees for those who used the filter.

“Hidden fees in the ticketing industry have truly gotten out of control. The price that is advertised is the price that we should pay—full stop,” said National Consumers League CEO Sally Greenberg. “The District of Columbia is one of the best jurisdictions in the nation when it comes to fighting for consumers. We’re grateful for Attorney General Schwalb’s leadership in this space and look forward to continuing to support his work on behalf of the public.”

From the Office of the Attorney General (OAG):

StubHub utilizes a “drip pricing” system whereby the company advertises an artificially low price to entice ticket buyers and then prompts them through a series of needless steps. At the same time, a countdown clock creates a false sense of urgency. By the time customers have made it past StubHub’s numerous pages—often over a dozen—to the end of the lengthy checkout process, they are often charged a final price substantially higher than the advertised price due to cryptic “fulfillment and service” fees tacked on without adequate explanation of the fees’ purpose. Consumers are faced with this inflated total and the countdown timer threatening to make them start the whole process over, consumers are pressured into the purchase out of fear that they risk losing the tickets. Drip pricing also makes it nearly impossible for consumers to comparison shop between StubHub and other platforms since they don’t know what the fee will amount to until they near the end of the checkout process.

StubHub designed the drip pricing scheme specifically to increase profits at the expense of consumers. From 2014 to 2015, StubHub utilized “all-in pricing,” in which advertised prices included mandatory fees. After a testing period that randomly assigned consumers to one of the two pricing models demonstrated that consumers are more likely to purchase tickets—and buy them at higher prices—if fees are hidden until the end, StubHub implemented its deceptive drip pricing model.

StubHub’s illegal conduct particularly impacts DC, as residents and visitors spend more per capita on live entertainment in Washington, DC, than in many other major US cities, including New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Miami, Nashville, and Austin. Since adopting the drip pricing model in 2015, StubHub has sold nearly 5 million tickets to District consumers, extracting an estimated $118 million in hidden fees.

With this lawsuit, the OAG alleges two violations of the Consumer Protection Procedures Act, one for unfair acts or practices and one for deceptive acts or practices. It seeks an injunction for StubHub to correct its violations, statutory civil penalties, damages and restitution.

In a statement to Variety, representatives for StubHub said, “StubHub is committed to creating a transparent, secure, and competitive marketplace to benefit consumers,” reads the statement. “We are disappointed that the DC Attorney General is targeting StubHub when our user experience is consistent with the law, our competitors’ practices, and the broader e-commerce sector. We strongly support federal and state solutions that enhance existing laws to empower consumers, such as requiring all-in pricing uniformly across platforms.”

The full complaint is available here.

Laura Beckerman, Senior Trial Counsel, is leading this matter, which is being supervised by Adam Teitelbaum, Director of the Office of Consumer Protection.

The post StubHub Sued For Decptive Pricing And Junk Fees By DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb appeared first on CelebrityAccess.

Utopia, based in Switzerland and recently rebranded as Proper Music Group acquired Lyric Financial in October 2021 as part of its aggressive expansion strategy. The deal was valued at $8 million, with $5 million paid upfront and two deferred payments of $1.5 million each.

However, Lyric Financial’s former owners claimed they never received the final $1.5 million payment from Utopia and took the matter to court in September 2023. The case was moved to a London-based arbitration tribunal, which ruled in favor of the former owners in June 2024. The arbitrator ordered Utopia to pay the outstanding amount, plus interest and expenses, totaling $1.863 million.

On July 19, the US District Court for the Southern District of New York upheld this decision, mandating Utopia to pay the total amount owed and additional interest until the final payment.

Lyric Financial’s former owners include Tennessee-based Music World Entertainment Corporation, EDE LLC (owned by Richard Eli Ball), and Claritas Private Credit Fund, among others. Lyric Financial offers advances to artists, songwriters, producers, record labels, and music publishers in exchange for future royalty income streams. It was one of over a dozen acquisitions made by Utopia in an attempt to dominate various sectors of the music industry, including distribution, financing, data, and royalty management.

Utopia’s plans have since faltered due to financial pressures, partly attributed to rising interest rates. The company has undergone multiple layoffs, reducing its workforce from around 1,200 to approximately 250 full-time positions. It also sold off several acquisitions, such as music publishing platform Sentric to Believe and Absolute Label Services, back to its original management.

Despite scaling back operations, Utopia, now Proper Music Group, faces financial difficulties. Earlier this year, the company sought an emergency $6.4 million cash infusion from shareholders.

In arbitration, Utopia argued that they withheld the final payment because Lyric Financial failed to deliver a new tool, ARTiE, as stipulated in the sale agreement. Utopia claimed they had to fund the development of a replacement product. The arbitrator dismissed this argument, noting that the second payment, not the third, was contingent on ARTiE’s delivery, and Utopia had accepted the product by making the second payment.

The post Utopia Music Ordered To Pay Nearly $1.9M To Lyric Financial’s Former Owners appeared first on CelebrityAccess.

The other teams involved are the Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, New Orleans Pelicans, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, and San Antonio Spurs. The lawsuits, filed on July 18 in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, claim that the teams did not obtain the necessary licenses or authorization to use the copyrighted music in their videos.

The lawsuits highlight that the publisher plaintiffs vary depending on the songs involved, but all complaints feature Kobalt Music Publishing as the exclusive licensing agent. Artist Publishing Group is a plaintiff in all the lawsuits except the one against the Miami Heat.

The legal complaints argue that the NBA teams are fully aware of US copyright laws and utilize these protections for their intellectual property while infringing on the plaintiffs’ rights. The complaint against the New York Knicks lists 23 allegedly infringed tracks, including Dua Lipa’s “Don’t Start Now” and Busta Rhymes’ “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See.” The Orlando Magic’s complaint lists 37 tracks, such as Major Lazer’s “Lean On” and Shaquille O’Neal’s “(I Know I Got) Skillz.” The Cleveland Cavaliers are accused of infringing 16 songs, including the 3LAU remix of Ariana Grande’s “Into You,” while the Indiana Pacers allegedly infringed one track, Austin Mahone’s “Mmm Yeah” featuring Pitbull.

As of July 22, many videos listed in the lawsuits were no longer available on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and NBA.com. The lawsuits seek up to $150,000 per violation for direct, contributory, and vicarious copyright infringement, potentially leading to millions in damages for the NBA teams involved.

These lawsuits come amid a surge in copyright infringement actions from major music industry players. Recently, Sony Music Group, Universal Music Group, and Warner Music Group sued companies behind AI music generators for training on copyrighted music without permission. The music industry has also seen lawsuits against companies like Gymshark and Marriott International for similar copyright infringements in social media posts.

The post Several NBA Teams Hit With Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Over Music Used In Social Media appeared first on CelebrityAccess.