Entertainment Technology Briefing: June 2025

Welcome to our round-up of our top selection of legal updates and technology news relevant to the media and entertainment industry in May.
If you are looking for advice in relation to any of the issues mentioned, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Legal updates
House of Lords defeats government’s AI Bill for the second time (BBC)
European Commission investigates pornography websites under Digital Services Act (Society for Computers & Law)
Government issues draft statement of strategic priorities for online safety under the Online Safety Act (Society for Computers & Law)
High Court rules that WhatsApp exchange formed contract (Society for Computers & Law)
US Copyright Office report rejects Big Tech’s ‘fair use’ argument (Forbes)
MusicTech
Taylor Swift buys back Big Machine catalogue (Music Week)
Elton John labels government “absolute losers” in campaign against AI proposals (Music Week)
Soundcloud revises AI clause in its T&Cs following backlash over wording (Music Week)
AI
EU Intellectual Property Office issues study on AI from copyright perspective (EU IPO)
Telegram partners with Musk’s xAI (BBC)
Over 400 creatives write to Prime Minister over government’s AI proposals (Music Week)
New York Times licenses content to Amazon in AI deal (TechCrunch)
Web3
Reform UK to accept Bitcoin donations (BBC)
Data
TikTok fined 350 million euros by EU regulator for GDPR breaches (Reuters)
Adidas customer data stolen in cyber-attack (BBC)
M&S cyber-attack costs company around £300m (BBC)
European Data Protection Board recognises need for extension of UK adequacy decisions under GDPR and LED (Society for Computers & Law)
European Commission issues proposals to simplify record-keeping under GDPR (European Commission)
Other news
Government publishes response to 2021 consultation on exhaustion of IP rights post-Brexit (Practical Law)
Meta threatens to cut off Facebook in Nigeria following large fines and “unrealistic” demands (BBC)