Bob Weir Passes at 78, Songwriter Termination Rights Expanded, and Spotify Royalty Dispute Escalates - How The Music Business Works

How The Music Business Works - Issue #44

January 15, 2026

Welcome back to How The Music Business Works. This week brings a mix of reflection and legal developments that highlight how legacy and rights continue to shape today’s music business.

We remember Bob Weir and the enduring influence he leaves behind, while in the US a landmark appeals court ruling strengthens songwriter termination rights and could reshape long-standing publishing deals. At the same time, legal pressure is building across the digital landscape, with an escalating royalty dispute between Spotify and The MLC and a new antitrust lawsuit from X accusing music publishers and the NMPA of abusing takedown rules.

Across the Atlantic, a UK court is weighing a high-profile royalties case between Sting and his former bandmates, raising fresh questions about how older agreements apply in the streaming era.

A busy week, with courts playing an increasingly central role in how music rights are defined and enforced.

Bob Weir, Grateful Dead Singer, Guitarist and Co-Founder, Dies at 78

Bob Weir, founding member and longtime creative force of the Grateful Dead, has died at age 78 following a battle with cancer and underlying lung issues, according to a statement from his family. Diagnosed last summer, Weir continued performing and took the stage just weeks after beginning treatment, including a three-night Golden Gate Park run celebrating the band’s 60th anniversary, now remembered as his final performances. A pioneering guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist, Weir helped define the Dead’s improvisational sound and co-wrote classics including “Truckin’,” “Sugar Magnolia,” and “Estimated Prophet.” His influence spanned decades through countless reunions and later projects like Dead & Company.

US Appeals Court Upholds Landmark Termination Rights Ruling

Songwriter groups are celebrating a landmark ruling by the US Fifth Circuit Appeals Court that significantly expands creators’ termination rights under US copyright law. The case, involving songwriter Cyril E Vetter and publisher Resnik Music Group, centered on the song Double Shot. The court upheld a lower ruling that when a songwriter terminates an old publishing deal, rights revert worldwide, not just in the US, challenging long-held industry convention. Groups including Music Creators North America called the decision an enormous victory for creators. Although the ruling relates to a dispute between one songwriter and one small independent music publisher over the rights in a single song, the judgement could impact on all American music publishers that control rights in songs that stem from decades old publishing deals. 

MLC vs. Spotify Bundle Battle Intensifies as Streamer Opposes Immediate Appeal

A legal dispute between The Mechanical Licensing Collective and Spotify is escalating over how mechanical royalties are calculated following Spotify’s decision to bundle audiobooks with its Premium subscription. In 2024, Spotify reclassified Premium as a bundle after adding limited audiobook access, a move that allowed it to pay lower mechanical royalty rates under existing regulations. In January 2025, Judge Analisa Torres dismissed the MLC’s original lawsuit, agreeing that Premium qualifies as a bundle. Although the court later allowed the case to continue with revised claims, the MLC is now seeking an immediate appeal of the earlier ruling, arguing it has significant consequences for songwriters and publishers and has not yet been reviewed by an appeals court. Spotify opposes the request, calling it untimely and unjustified.

X Countersues Music Publishers and the NMPA, Alleging ‘Collusion’ and ‘Weaponized’ Takedowns

X has filed an antitrust lawsuit against the National Music Publishers’ Association and 18 music publishers, alleging they colluded to weaponize copyright takedown requests to force the platform into licensing deals. The suit claims the publishers abused the DMCA process to pressure X into accepting industry-wide licenses at inflated rates. The publishers reject the claims, arguing X has refused to license music while allowing widespread infringement. According to X, the company has been “denied the ability to acquire a U.S. musical-composition license from any individual music publisher on competitive terms.” The platform has been in a legal battle with the NMPA since 2023, when the music publishers’ association sued X over allegations of mass copyright infringement. The lawsuit follows stalled settlement talks in the publishers’ own infringement case against X and seeks damages and an injunction against what X calls coercive negotiation tactics.

Sting Pays Police Bandmates £600,000 in Royalties

A legal dispute is unfolding between Sting and his former bandmates Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland over alleged royalty underpayments tied to The Police catalogue. Court filings in London show Sting has paid more than £500,000 after acknowledging historic underpayments, though he disputes further liability. Summers and Copeland claim longstanding agreements entitle them to a share of publishing income, including from streaming and downloads, and say those agreements should be interpreted to reflect modern music consumption. Sting argues streaming income constitutes public performance, not sales, and therefore falls outside the scope of those agreements. The court is now considering whether the case can be expanded, with total claims potentially exceeding £8 million.