IMAGE: MICHELLE PHAN'S FACEBOOK
We have all been there. We wanted to do a smokey eye and searched YouTube to teach us how and we usually ended up watching something by Michelle Phan, right? And we all love her right? But shock-horror, the queen of YouTube’s beauty How-To videos is now being sued by a recording company for unauthorised use of their songs in her videos.
Perhaps the vlogger’s earnings (a reported US$5 million last year) was too tempting for Ultra Records LLC to resist? The record company that produces a lot of dance anthems said that it has found numerous copyright infringements in Phan’s videos. That is, Phan was using their songs without a license.
According to this article, Ultra is looking to get US$150,000 for each time Phan used their songs. With over 6 million YouTube subscribers and videos being watched in the millions, this will be one really big lawsuit.
However, in an apparent twist to the story, the artist behind some of the songs used in the videos expressed support over Phan’s use of his work. Deejay and producer Kaskade, who is no longer represented by Ultra, has said that he fully supports Phan’s use of his music in her work.
Either way, this could be a sign of things to come. YouTube starlets may need to start composing a makeup rhythm too, each time a new eyeshadow shade launches.