The US Copyright Office has opened a formal inquiry into music streaming fraud, seeking public input on the scope of the problem and potential policy responses. The move comes a day after Michael Smith was sentenced to 18 months in prison for running a scheme that used bots and AI-generated tracks to siphon millions of dollars in royalties from streaming platforms.
The timing underscores growing pressure on regulators and industry bodies to address manipulation of streaming data, which affects royalty payouts to legitimate artists and rightsholders. The inquiry is expected to gather evidence from labels, distributors, and platforms on how fraud is detected and prevented, and whether existing laws are adequate to deter it.
Read the full story at Music Business Worldwide.