Major productions in the U.K. such as ‘The Batman,’ ‘Jurassic World: Dominion,’ ‘Sex Education,’ and ‘The Witcher’ were shut down in mid-March.
The British government and health bodies have formerly endorsed a comprehensive set of guidelines that will allow shoots to restart in one of the world’s film and high-end production capitals after they were shut down due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Cory Doctorow has a post on the EFF’s Deep Thoughts…sorry…Deep Links blog that proposes “A Plan to Pay Artists.” MTP readers probably need no further information to know what’s coming next without even reading Mr. Doctorow’s post. It’s the old ISP licensing hash rehashed and served up as if nothing happened–but using The MLC as a justification.
The U.K. film and high-end TV sector has moved a step closer to restarting with the publication of government-endorsed guidelines for working safely during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read More: https://variety.com/2020/film/global/uk-industry-publishes-covid-19-guidance-1234621699/
Paris, 29th May, 2020 – Björn Ulvaeus has been appointed President of CISAC, the global confederation of authors’ societies and the largest network of creators worldwide. Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson are one of the most successful songwriting duos of all time.
Read More: https://www.cisac.org/Newsroom/News-Releases/Bjoern-Ulvaeus-elected-as-the-next-President-of-CISAC
The Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances (“Beijing Treaty”) entered into force on 28 April 2020 (3 months after the 30th Contracting Party had submitted its instrument of ratification or accession to WIPO). It now behoves on Contracting Parties to implement the treaty or domesticate the treaty into their respective national laws.
Read More: https://ipkitten.blogspot.com/2020/05/beijing-treaty-in-africa-series-1.html?m=1
Paris, 29th May, 2020 – Björn Ulvaeus has been appointed President of CISAC, the global confederation of authors’ societies and the largest network of creators worldwide. Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson are one of the most successful songwriting duos of all time.
Read More: https://www.cisac.org/Newsroom/News-Releases/Bjoern-Ulvaeus-elected-as-the-next-President-of-CISACi
Cinemas in the country are allowed to gradually begin operating again after the government issued strict COVID-19 restrictions and guidelines.
Read More: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/france-plans-reopen-movie-theaters-june-22-1293080
Netflix is able to prevail over the musicians behind the children’s song, “Fish Sticks n’ Tater Tots.”
Here’s a rather unusual and provocative decision on the copyright front. It involves a burlesque dancer performing what she called a “reverse mermaid” to the children’s song, “Fish Sticks n’ Tater Tots.”
CAA, UTA and WME attempt to swipe down an amended lawsuit over packaging fees.
It’s been a month since a federal judge “gutted” claims brought by the Writers Guild of America against the three largest talent agencies.
German performing rights organization GEMA generated revenues of €1.069bn ($1.2bn) in 2019, an increase of €50.2m (5%) compared to 2018.
Of this amount, €905.6m ($1.02bn) was distributed to members and rights-holders worldwide, according to GEMA, which published its financial results today (May 27).
Update/Correction, May 27 2020, 2PM Pacific. An earlier version of this article contained the phrase “the the online music industry is currently generating more revenues than the music industry did at the height of the CD bubble”; this has been corrected to read “the online music industry is currently generating more revenues than the music industry at any time since the CD bubble.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom says the state will issue guidelines on allowing TV & movie production to re-open.
Governor Newsom says the guidelines will start in some counties as soon as next week. The governor revealed the news in a virtual roundtable on Wednesday with industry leaders. Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos says production is already underway in countries like South Korea, Iceland, and Sweden.
Read More: https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2020/05/27/california-film-tv-guidelines/
Although the time limit for the claim that Phil Everly was a co-author would begin running when Phil’s authorship was repudiated by Don Everly, factual issues precluded summary judgment on the issue.
There are not many surprises in the just released Copyright Office Section 512 Study. On virtually every issue about which the copyright industry had complained for the last two decades regarding the notice and takedown regime first established by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) in 1998, now codified in 17 U.S.C. § 512—from its eligibility rules to its knowledge requirements to the availability of injunctive relief—the Office took that industry’s side.
Since its establishment in 1998, as part of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”), section 512 of title 17 has both provided critical guideposts for the expansion of the internet and produced widespread disagreement over its operation. This Report is the first full analysis of whether section 512 is working effectively in achieving its aim of balancingthe needs of online service providers (“OSPs”)1with those of creators.
The Film Musicians Secondary Markets Fund has distributed $99 million to American Federation of Musicians (AFM) members and their beneficiaries more than a month earlier than planned, owing to the fiscal strain brought on by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis.
Read More: https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2020/05/22/film-musicians-secondary-markets-fund/
Today, the US Copyright Office released its much-awaited Report on Section 512 of the US Copyright Act, which was enacted in 1998 as part of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and introduced the so called ‘safe harbor’ system into US law.
As readers following all things intermediaries will know, the safe harbor system of the E-Commerce Directive was the EU response to the 1998 US legislation.
Read More: https://ipkitten.blogspot.com/2020/05/breaking-us-copyright-office-finds.html
A multiyear study concludes that Section 512 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act no longer strikes a proper balance between rights owners and rights users.
It’s negotiation in the new normal.
The Writers Guild of America and the major studios began talks Monday on a three-year renewal of the union’s master TV/theatrical agreement under conditions completely opposite from what was anticipated just a few months ago.
From gigs to plays and quizzes, live entertainment has moved online during coronavirus lockdown – and creative minds are coming up with new ideas to give us back some of the human connection we’ve lost.
Read More: https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-52619188
Through its #saveourvenues initiative, The Music Venue Trust (MVT) has raised over $1.8 million for British music venues, 140 of which have been removed from the organization’s “critical” list of establishments that may soon be forced to close their doors.
Read More: https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2020/05/18/british-music-venues-donations/
A California judge also rules Jen Arnold and Bill Klein haven’t shown enough to carry a fraud claim forward against the show’s producer, LMNO.
Read More: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/little-couple-stars-lose-battle-reclaim-ip-rights-1295009
As we’ve been reporting, there has been a movement in Washington to get more money into the hands of local radio operators, in the next round of federal funding, to help them deal with revenue losses as a result of the pandemic. Now, several music organizations are calling language in the HEROES Act a bailout for Big Radio.
Read More: https://radioink.com/2020/05/15/music-organizations-take-aim-at-big-radio-companies/
The union said it paid over 5,000 directors in the past week as production remains at a near-standstill.
In another union effort to bring financial relief to the entertainment community amid COVID-19, the Directors Guild of America announced on Friday that it had expedited the payout of $9 million in foreign levies to directors.
The union posted the notice on Thursday over health and safety concerns related to COVID-19 as lockdown measures begin to be eased.
SAG-AFTRA will require members to seek the union’s approval before accepting new work amid health and safety concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic as lockdown measures begin to be eased.
Musicians and songwriters in the UK received a record amount of money last year, but the loss of live music poses a major threat to income in 2020.
The warning was issued by PRS for Music, the body that makes sure 145,000 songwriters, composers and publishers in the UK are paid when their music is played or performed around the world.
Read More: https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-52652073
Two [organizations] that represent thousands of British musicians and songwriters will today launch a Keep Music Alive campaign calling for urgent changes to the music industry to protect artists at risk of ruin as a result of the coronavirus crisis.
BMI writers and publishers should have received this email:
Dear BMI Songwriters, Composers and Publishers,
I hope this note finds you safe and well. While this is certainly a challenging time for the entire music community, we have been striving to ensure that your BMI service is as seamless as ever.
Read More: https://artistrightswatch.com/2020/05/08/bmi-makes-early-royalty-distribution/
Industry groups that represent music and film are asking Congress for specific assistance to their sector that, they say, was not provided in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
German music industry groups are warning the public and government officials that a “corona collapse” will occur unless the music community receives a more than $628 million (€582 million) financial-aid package.
Read More: https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2020/05/06/german-music-industry-coronavirus-collapse/
An appellate court ruled on Tuesday that the Michael Jackson estate does not have to pay $6.9 million in royalties and fees to Quincy Jones.
The three-judge panel of the 2nd Appellate District overturned the bulk of a 2017 jury verdict, finding that the trial judge had allowed the jury to misinterpret Jones’ contract.
Read More: https://variety.com/2020/biz/news/quincy-jones-loses-michael-jackson-appeal-1234598433/
The American Federation of Musicians (AFM) and SAG-AFTRA have distributed $62 million to musicians from their Intellectual Property Rights Distribution Fund (IPRDF).
AFM & SAG-AFTRA officially shared the news this week. Essentially, the Fund secures owed royalty payments (from “non-interactive digital streaming providers”) on behalf of non-featured performers, including session vocalists and musicians. This $62 million payout is the largest that the Fund has produced since being established in 2008.
Read More: https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2020/05/05/sag-aftra-afm-distribute-62-million/
Thanks to a byzantine benefits structure, many musicians who had a patchwork income are unable to get the unemployment checks they need
Amazon has hit back at the US government’s decision to include some of its foreign subsidiaries in the annual notorious markets piracy report, claiming that its inclusion is politically motivated because of the ongoing beef between President Donald Trump and Amazon boss Jeff Bezos.
US-based collection and licensing society ASCAP has reported that its revenues topped $1.274 billion in 2019, which marks a $47 million increase over 2018, and a fifth year of record-breaking financial results.
The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed many weaknesses in our social safety net and labor laws. The predicament of musical artists — the original gig workers — is particularly poignant. With live performance shut down, the vast majority of the music sector has lost the economic means for basic survival. Most, if not all, of the income forfeited is never coming back. Not long ago, many musicians, DJs, and sound performers could have made it through this period by relying on the sales of recorded music. Today, online corporations, YouTube above all, have distorted that market by enabling near-limitless unauthorized distribution of recordings without the artists’ consent or compensation, while Google and Facebook profit from linking to such content.
