Market Developments

UK Government Backs Down on AI Following Backlash from Artists

REGULATORY FRAMEWORK

Thursday, 22 January 2026

Following intense backlash from the artistic world—including Elton John and Paul McCartney—the UK government is withdrawing a proposal that would allow artificial intelligence companies to use royalties-protected works for model training without authorization.

Partly AI-generated folk-pop hit barred from Sweden’s official charts

MARKET DEVELOPMENTS

Friday, 16 January 2026

Song that topped Swedish Spotify rankings ruled ineligible after elements of song revealed to be partly AI-made.

Bandcamp Bans Music Created Entirely by AI

Wednesday, 14 January 2026

Following the streaming chaos, Bandcamp is drawing a "red line": it bans music and audio generated entirely or largely by AI, and forbids any attempt to mimic artists or style.

Spain: Regulation of AI Deepfakes

Tuesday, 13 January 2026

The Council of Ministers of Spain, led by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, approved a bill seeking stricter control over deepfakes and the tightening of consent rules for photos, in accordance with new European trends to combat sexually explicit content generated by Artificial Intelligence.

BMG Sues Anthropic for Using Rolling Stones and Bruno Mars Lyrics in Claude's Training

REGULATORY FRAMEWORK / CASE LAW

Tuesday, 13 January 2026

BMG Rights Management filed a lawsuit against Anthropic in a California federal court, alleging that the company used lyrics from songs by the Rolling Stones, Bruno Mars, Ariana Grande, and other artists without authorization to train the models behind Claude. The lawsuit cites 493 alleged copyright infringements.

Universal Music Group partners with NVIDIA to put a stop to 'AI slop.

Wednesday, 07 January 2026

Universal Music Group (UMG) announced one of the most prominent steps in the field of Artificial Intelligence, in collaboration with NVIDIA, the world's most valuable company with a market cap reaching $4.56 trillion, according to Music Business Worldwide. The agreement entails joint research and development, with the primary goal of enhancing human musical creativity while ensuring fair compensation for artists and rights holders.