THE BIG STORY: It’s probably where this was headed all along. Songwriter Cyril Vetter’s much-discussed legal battle over copyright termination reached the U.S. Supreme Court last week, setting the stage for a potential industry-shaking showdown.

In a strongly worded petition, the major music companies urged the justices to tackle a January ruling that said artists can use termination to regain not only their American copyrights, but also overseas rights to the same songs. Repped by SCOTUS heavy Paul Clement, the labels said it was a “profoundly wrong” decision that would cause “chaos” for the music business.

“In a single stroke, the decision below unsettled 50 years of industry practice,” Clement wrote. “[It] immediately calls into question the scope and meaning of countless negotiated agreements backed by billions of dollars.”

For more, go read the entire story here, including access to the actual petition for writ of certiorari. And stay tuned at Billboard for updates on whether the high court takes the case, and what it will mean for the industry.

More top new stories…

– A federal judge ruled that Eminem’s publisher can proceed with a $109 million lawsuit against Meta over allegedly unlicensed songs in the Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp music libraries.

– The NO FAKES Act, a proposed federal law that would create a sweeping new ban on AI-powered voice cloning and deepfakes, passed a key Congressional hurdle.

– Drake’s apparel brand, October’s Very Own (OVO), is locked in a legal feud with an investor who called in a $4 million loan and now says the company owes double that amount.

– Mystikal was sentenced to 20 years in prison in Louisiana after pleading guilty to a third-degree rape charge in March

– A judge tossed out a class action claiming Spotify turns a “blind eye” to bots and allows billions of fake streams of Drake and other stars, but the case isn’t quite over yet.

– Nvidia was hit with a lawsuit claiming it illegally trained its AI music models Fugatto and Audio Flamingo on a copyrighted trove of songs owned by licensing platform Jamendo.

– Jimmie Allen was ordered to pay $1.8 million to a woman who sued him over accusations that he sexually assaulted and secretly filmed her in a Las Vegas hotel room.

– A judge ruled that Russell Simmons could be sued for rape in New York by a former Def Jam executive, even though he now lives in Indonesia.

– MSG Entertainment was hit with several lawsuits claiming that a recent data breach exposed the personal information of venue visitors, including “threat assessment profiles.”

– Chris Brown took the witness stand to testify over a dog attack at his home that left a housekeeper mauled, denying her claim that he “fled the scene” to avoid responsibility.

– A Swedish appeals court reinstated a lawsuit against Avicii’s estate by his longtime manager, Arash “Ash” Pournouri, over his negative portrayal in books and a documentary.

– The estate of MF Doom reached a settlement with Temu to end a trademark lawsuit over allegations of counterfeit artist merch on the Chinese discount storefront.

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