Specter Of Litigation Looms Over Music Industry

The question of how many songwriters it took to write a tune called “Uptown Funk” has been settled out of court, but whether  the outcome of the recent “Blurred Lines” lawsuit played a role in settling it is an open question. “Nobody wants to be involved in a lawsuit,” says Danny Zook, who manages Trinidad James, oversees the artist publishing company Trinlanta and runs sample-clearing house Alien Music. Once a copyright dispute goes to a jury trial, Zook explains, it is subject to be decided by public opinion, and no longer resolved based entirely on law.