Wire report
Feds Say AI Music Fraudster Deserves Prison For Stealing Royalties From ‘Hard-Working Songwriters’
Michael Smith claims his $8 million streaming fraud didn't actually hurt anybody, but prosecutors say he took that money from "underpaid" musicians.
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Michael Smith claims his $8 million streaming fraud didn't actually hurt anybody, but prosecutors say he took that money from "underpaid" musicians.
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What happened
According to Billboard’s source item, Feds Say AI Music Fraudster Deserves Prison For Stealing Royalties From ‘Hard-Working Songwriters’, Michael Smith claims his $8 million streaming fraud didn’t actually hurt anybody, but prosecutors say he took that money from “underpaid” musicians.
Context
The development sits in VINI’s Technology file for readers following technology, science, product policy, markets, infrastructure, and the public consequences of innovation. The original report is linked so readers can check the source account, follow later updates, and compare new coverage against the first published record. The source item is dated 2026-09-29T21:21:10+00:00.
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Source
Primary source: Feds Say AI Music Fraudster Deserves Prison For Stealing Royalties From ‘Hard-Working Songwriters’ via Billboard. VINI cites and links the source; it does not reproduce the publisher’s full article text without rights clearance.
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- Feds Say AI Music Fraudster Deserves Prison For Stealing Royalties From ‘Hard-Working Songwriters’Billboard - 2026-09-29T21:21:10+00:00
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