😘

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/happy-birthday-s-copyright-goes-public-how-one-of-history-s-most-expensive-birthday-gifts-was-finally-returned-a6768761.html

The label just lied, and used their scale and privileged access to State power to extort ~$100 million from performers over decades.

Emblematic of the whole "Intellectual Property" experiment.

No label exec went to jail, no one had to return the loot, and even this much justice cost millions in legal fees and only happened because of wealthy donors.

Meanwhile your local garage band has no meaningful recourse if their best song is filtched by a talent scout or a rival.

If you want to support musicians, patronise your local live music venue, or zap their Nostr npubs. Labels are just rent-seeking State-sponsored racketeers, and the share of grain that goes through for the sparrows is a rounding error.