Sony Music promotes Stephanie Yu as a shoe retailer's suit against the label is narrowed

Sony Music has promoted Stephanie Yu to general counsel and executive vice president for business and legal affairs, Music Business Worldwide reported on August 4. Days later, on August 10, the outlet reported that a federal judge had dismissed the part of a lawsuit brought by the shoe retailer DSW that named Sony Music Entertainment and Sony Music Publishing.

DSW, its parent company Designer Brands, and the footwear brand Topo Athletic filed the case as a declaratory judgment action, asking a court to rule that music the retailer used in social media posts did not infringe the labels' copyrights. The judge found the retailer's filing was an anticipatory move made to get ahead of an expected infringement suit from Sony, and dismissed the claims against the Sony Music Entertainment defendants; DSW's claims against Sony Music Publishing, Universal Music and BMG remain before the court.

Yu succeeds Julie Swidler, who left the company at the end of June after 18 years in the role. She will oversee business, legal and government affairs for Sony Music worldwide, reporting to chairman Rob Stringer and chief operating officer Kevin Kelleher. Yu had served as the company's US lead of business and legal affairs and previously spent nine years at Epic Records.

The DSW dismissal is part of a wider push by the major music companies against brands accused of using recordings in social media marketing without a license, with Sony, Universal and Warner bringing similar claims against companies including Marriott and Crumbl. Sony's own infringement case against DSW continues in California, where the label alleges the retailer and its influencers used more than 120 of its recordings without permission.

The moves follow other recent Sony Music news, including Sony Music and Universal Music taking on the app Musi in a Canadian court and the departure of Sony Music Entertainment executive Caryl Atwood.