Universal is being sued by Grammy-nominated songwriter Jon Hume for using audio credits on Dean Lewis’ Be Alright

Grammy-nominated songwriter Jon Hume has opened up to Universal Music Group and Universal Music Group Australia in a dispute over audio credits used in a Dean Lewis song, saying, You are right.

The lawsuit was filed by Australian-born, but now Nashville-based Hume, in a Tennessee court on Wednesday (June 19).

Hume has worked with artists including Dean Lewis (ok, Half Man again How I Say Goodbye), and Sofi Tukker, Bebe Rexha, JP Cooper, NEEDTOBREATHE and Calum Scott.

Released in 2018, You are right spread beyond 1.7 billion times only on Spotify.

Hume says in the lawsuit that he and Lewis, who is an artist of UMG/UMG Australia, were named Be good”September 2015 or 2015″.

He adds that, while they were writing and recording the demo for this song, Hume made various audio tracks ie “stems” playing each instrument used in the demo.

Hume says he “also worked as a producer and, using his music degree, created the original recording of the song. Be good”.

The lawsuit continues: “Hume, alone, produced the Original Recording and played and recorded all the instruments, except Dean Lewis’ vocals, which were translated on it.

Each of those instrumental recordings was recorded on individual stems, which, when combined, comprised all the sounds contained in the Original Recordings, except for Dean Lewis’ vocal track.”

Hume says in his lawsuit, which you can read in full here, that later in 2016, UMG Australia’s MD Michael Taylor requested by email in July 2016 “that Hume send Stems to another manufacturer”.

In that email, addressed to Hume, along with his wife and manager Karen Hume, Taylor told the Humes that “to save time – and money” Degrees were recorded while the letter was being written. You are right “were to be used as a ‘reference’ only and “no use of Stems from the demo [a reference to the Original Recording] you will enter the Master.”

Hume alleges that Michael Taylor then emailed him the following month asking if UMG could use the original Stems “primarily” and that the email “closed with a ‘smiley face’ symbol”.

According to the lawsuit, UMG Australia and Hume then discussed giving Hume a producer credit You are right due to the expected use of sound degrees. On Spotify, you are currently credited as the songwriter on the song.

But Hume claims in his complaint that on May 1, 2018, former UMG Australia Director Michael Taylor, on behalf of the company “willfully and purposefully advised the Humes” that UMG Australia did not end up using any Titles for the writing session. and Dean Lewis in the final master recording after all.

The lawsuit then states that in December 2023, Dean Lewis gave Jon Hume “the entire set of degrees including the Released Master. [of Be Alright] as a reference to another song for which Dean Lewis sought the services of Jon Hume”.

He says that when he received those titles “he discovered that, contrary to UMG’s suggestions, more than fifty percent (50%) of the Titles contained in the Original Recording were also included in the Released Master”.

“Contrary to UMG’s presentation, over fifty percent (50%) of STEMS included in the Original Recording was also included in the Released Master.”

The case was filed by Jon Hume

Hume is suing UMG and UMG Australia for copyright infringement, alleging that they “misappropriated the sounds contained in Stems” and that they “disguised and misrepresented [Hume] that they did not use the Degree”.

Hume’s complaint also alleges that UMG “claimed and registered a Copyright in the sound recording of the Released Master consisting of [Hume’s] sound” and that “Defendants have directly infringed Plaintiff’s Copyright on Foundations”.

He is seeking “statutory damages, compensatory damages, reasonable attorneys’ fees, and costs arising out of [UMG] in direct violation of their law”.

He also seeks an “accounting of all “profits” as defined in 17 U.S.C. § 504, because of violations found” by UMG.

Additionally, Hume requested that “if not” in his copyright infringement claim, he wants the court to issue a “declaration” stating that he is “a joint author and qualified copyright claimant of the Exempted Owner”.

He says there is a “great controversy” between him and the defendants “because [Hume] he is the author of the liberated king” recording or not. The case continues: “The Court’s declaration will end the dispute between the Plaintiff and the defendants.”

Hume’s lawsuit also states that “he is entitled to an accounting to the plaintiffs of any and all profits obtained as a direct or indirect result of the Defendants’ exploitation of the Released Manager, and payment of the plaintiffs’ share of those profits”.

The complaint continues: “The defendants have a duty to account for the profits they received, received, or caused by the exploitation of the Exempted Master, including, but not limited to, any other person or entity operating under a license, license, lease and/or transfer of rights under the Exempted Master issued formally or informally by the defendants. “

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