If you upload a video containing copyright-protected material, you could end up with a Content ID claim. In this post, we’ll break down what this means and what to do if this happens, including next steps and how Symphonic can help you through it. Here’s the rundown on YouTube Content ID Claims and Disputes with Symphonic.
Month: June 2021
Spotify Executive Calls Artist ‘Entitled’ for Requesting Payment of One Penny Per Stream
We’ve been covering artist efforts to increase their Spotify streaming royalties, including demands to pay one penny per stream. Now, we’re getting a better sense of how Spotify really feels about this.
Ashley Jana is like a lot of independent artists struggling to make money from streaming platforms. She has a few million streams on Spotify, but draws very little from those plays thanks to an extremely low per-stream royalty rate. While Apple Music recently upped its per-stream royalty payout to one penny per stream, Spotify’s per-stream rate remains a fraction of that. At last count, Spotify’s per-stream payouts were hovering between $0.003 and $0.005, which is — at best — one-half of what Apple pays, but usually far lower according to our data.
Eleven More House Republicans Come Out Against A Proposed Radio Royalty.
The introduction last week of a bill that would give artists and music companies a way to collect performance royalties for FM/AM airplay makes the addition of more House member names to a resolution opposing such a move more critical to broadcasters. Eleven lawmakers – all Republicans – say they will oppose any potential legislation that imposes new performance royalties on broadcast radio stations. It brings the tally to 149 in the House where 218 is the key number to block any bill from being passed.
Musicians, broadcasters battle in Congress over radio royalties
Music artists are launching a lobbying assault on Capitol Hill in hopes of securing radio royalties, sparking fierce resistance from the broadcasting industry.
Elton John Calls U.K. Government “Philistines” Over Post-Brexit Touring Issues
The iconic musician noted that artists like him “can afford to go to Europe,” but for younger or lesser-known artists, who have already been struggling following the shutdown of the touring industry due to the pandemic, the system is actively working against them.
Update: Copyright Royalty Board Calls for Public Comments on the Frozen Mechanicals Private Settlement
If you’ve followed the frozen mechanicals debate, you’ll know that one of the asks from commenters was that the Copyright Royalty Board not restrictively parse who could and could not comment on the private party settlement that the settling parties asked the CRB to impose on the world.
A Foreseeable Result of the Phonorecords IV Private Settlement: Opening Pandora’s Box
Over the last six weeks, the Trichordist has chronicled the frozen mechanicals saga occurring at the Copyright Royalty Board in the government’s rate setting for the compulsory mechanical license commonly called “Phonorecords IV.” (Congress mandated that these government rate settings occur every five years and are numbered sequentially.)
Britney Spears calls for “abusive” conservatorship to be ended
Britney Spears has called her conservatorship “abusive” and said that it leaves her unable to “live a full life”. Speaking over the phone at a court hearing in Los Angeles, Spears said that she wants the conservatorship – which has put her personal and financial affairs under the control of others for thirteen years – to come to an end.
The Wrestling Match Over Radio Royalties Continues — Introducing the American Music Fairness Act
The long-running wrestling match over radio royalties is showing few signs of slowing down, as lawmakers are preparing to introduce the American Music Fairness Act, an answer to the NAB-backed Local Radio Freedom Act.
As Vivendi shareholders back UMG spin-out, Sir Lucian Grainge says: ‘We’ve only just begun.’
Universal Music Group (UMG) parent company Vivendi has secured overwhelming support from its shareholders for its proposed public listing of UMG later this year.
Yesterday (June 22), at Vivendi’s Annual General Shareholders’ Meeting, the Paris-based company’s shareholders voted 99.9% in favor of the plan, which will see 60% of UMG shares floated on the Euronext Amsterdam in September .
What is the difference between US Copyright and French Copyright?
As I’m sure you already know, Reprtoir has been working to help record labels and music publishers who manage music copyrights, royalties and music catalogs through our software suite. By doing so, and by navigating the music industry ourselves, we learnt how important it is to understand copyright and its legislation. Which can vary depending on the country we’re talking about!
Read More: https://www.reprtoir.com/blog/droit-auteur-vs-copyright
Jay-Z files lawsuit against Damon Dash over attempt to sell copyright to his first album Reasonable Doubt as an NFT
Dash, 50, is the subject of legal action from his former record label, Roc-A-Fella Records – which he co-founded with the 99 Problems artist and is still a minority share holder – who claimed he is attempting to sell the copyright to the rapper’s debut album Reasonable Doubt as a non-fungible digital token (NFT) but doesn’t have permission to do so.
Guidance –Should I be engaged as a Session Musician or Featured Artist?
Knowing whether you should be engaged as a session musician or a featured artist can often be obvious, but there are times when your role can be difficult to determine. This can be particularly difficult for lead vocalists going in to work with another artist or producer, but can also apply to an instrumentalist taking on a lead role.
Download the Guide Below
Riding the Third Rails: Making the case at WIPO for performer streaming remuneration — Music Technology Policy
One potential solution to the crisis with performer compensation from streaming is an expanded remuneration right paid directly to performers and featured artists by streaming platforms. Remember–the session musicians and vocalists you hear on streaming platforms get nothing and all but a handful of featured artists get next to nothing.
Update: Copyright Royalty Board Calls for Public Comments on the Frozen Mechanicals Private Settlement
If you’ve followed the frozen mechanicals debate, you’ll know that one of the asks from commenters was that the Copyright Royalty Board not restrictively parse who could and could not comment on the private party settlement that the settling parties asked the CRB to impose on the world.
Who Owns Universal Music Group? Here’s a Quick Overview
With a valuation greater than $40 billion, UMG is easily the biggest record label and music company in the world. But who exactly who owns Universal Music Group? The answer to that question keeps changing — here’s the latest, most up-to-date breakdown.
Vivendi’s Universal Music to Sell 10 Percent Stake to Bill Ackman SPAC, Valuing Label at $41B+
The French media conglomerate finalized a deal to offload a 10 percent stake in the music major to a blank check company of Bill Ackman’s hedge fund Pershing Square.
Riding the Third Rails: Making the case at WIPO for performer streaming remuneration
One potential solution to the crisis with performer compensation from streaming is an expanded remuneration right paid directly to performers and featured artists by streaming platforms. Remember–the session musicians and vocalists you hear on streaming platforms get nothing and all but a handful of featured artists get next to nothing.
Are we headed for a shortage of vinyl records? It looks like it.
With no sign of vinyl sales slowing–in fact, they’re picking up–we’re running into supply and production issues. The result could be long delays for releases and inevitably higher prices.
Just as the vinyl industry found a way to recover from the Apollo Transco fire in February 2020 which destroyed one of only two lacquer master factories in the world (not to mention all the COVID protocols that have slowed things down in pressing plants) comes news that demand for new records is outstripping capacity.
Is a Famous Face a Form of Intellectual Property?
A Philadelphia news anchor’s fight with digital giants, including Facebook, who hosted an unauthorized image of her in ads, raises novel questions about likeness rights and has drawn the attention of SAG-AFTRA.
The Beijing Treaty: A step forward in the protection of related rights in audiovisual performances
In the midst of the economic and social paralysis arising from the COVID 19 pandemic, the tireless discipline of law has prevailed as always, if anything with increased activity. The Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances (BTAP, hereinafter the “Treaty”) came into force on 28 April 2020 in the first thirty contracting parties (the minimum number required). It was a historic milestone in the area of rights related to copyright. Switzerland was the first State to join the list and, at present, 42 states are contracting parties to this Treaty.
Download the Article Below
Streaming Outdraws Broadcast TV, Nielsen Figures Say
Nielsen has released a new measure of TV usage that shows streaming platforms pulled in a bigger share of viewers’ time in May than broadcast networks did. Netflix and YouTube alone make up 12 percent of the time Americans spend in front of their TVs, the ratings service says.
Read More: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/streaming-outdraws-broadcast-tv-nielsen-1234969324/
Nearly Half of All Americans Are Now Paying for Audio of Some Kind, Study Finds
The noteworthy statistic came to light in a survey published today, which indicated that 47 percent of Americans age 13 and up “subscribe to an audio service” as of 2021. “Audio service” in this instance refers specifically to streaming platforms Amazon Music, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Spotify, Pandora, satellite-radio giant SiriusXM, the $4.99-per-month iHeartRadio Plus, and Amazon’s Audible audiobook platform.
EU Internet Providers Can ID Customers Accused of Illegal Downloads
LUXEMBOURG (CN) — European internet service providers can hand over the personal details of customers who are accused of illegally downloading content, the EU’s top court ruled Thursday.
The Court of Justice of the European Union found that, in some cases, internet providers can be compelled to hand over the names and addresses of their customers, so long as the requests are justified, proportionate and not abusive.
Read More: https://www.courthousenews.com/eu-internet-providers-can-id-customers-accused-of-illegal-downloads/
New Network Agreement Rate Cards Available Online
The 2021-2022 DGA Network Agreement Rate Cards for Associate Directors, Stage Managers and Production Associates working in News, Sports, Operations and Local (NY and LA) are now available online in the Contracts section of the DGA website (www.dga.org).
Read More: https://www.dga.org/News/Guild-News/2021/July2021/New_Network_Ratecards_Online_2021.aspx
FAC, Musicians’ Union & Kelli-Leigh delighted to share joint guidance for session musicians and featured artists
Today, together with the Musicians Union, the trade union representing musicians working in the UK across all sectors of the music business, we are delighted to share our joint guidance for session musicians and featured artists.
Kevin Brennan MP proposes “a new right to fair remuneration” from streaming for musicians in private members bill
Labour MP Kevin Brennan yesterday presented a Copyright (Rights And Remuneration Of Musicians etc) Bill to Parliament which seeks to amend UK copyright law so to “create a new right to fair remuneration for musicians when their work is played on streaming platforms”. The proposed legislation is a direct response to the #fixstreaming and #brokenrecord campaigns, which have called for musicians to have a statutory right to equitable remuneration when their music is streamed.
Report: Netflix to Generate 31% of All 2021 U.S. SVOD Revenue
Netflix’s market share in the U.S. may be declining with the addition of services such as HBO Max, Peacock and Discovery+, but the SVOD pioneer is still on track to generate a third of the market’s revenue in 2021.
Read More: https://www.mediaplaynews.com/report-netflix-to-generate-31-of-all-2021-u-s-svod-revenue/
Jay-Z accuses photographer of infringing his image rights
Jay-Z is suing the photographer who shot the cover of his debut album ‘Reasonable Doubt’. The rapper accuses Jonathan Mannion of infringing his image rights by selling copies of that photograph and others on his website
Read More: https://completemusicupdate.com/article/jay-z-accuses-photographer-of-infringing-his-image-rights/
The Jesus and Mary Chain Sues Warner Music Group for $2.55 Million for Refusing to Return Copyrights
The Jesus and Mary Chain – and specifically brothers James Reid and William Reid, the act’s founding members and chief songwriters – just recently submitted the firmly worded complaint to a California federal court. DMN obtained an exclusive copy of the corresponding filing, which alleges at the outset that Warner Music Group, “without any viable or tenable legal grounds for doing so, has stubbornly and willfully refused to comply with” the 38-year-old group’s notices of termination.
The Jesus And Mary Chain latest artists to sue their former label over US termination right
The Jesus And Mary Chain latest artists to sue their former label over US termination right
Documentary+ To Share Viewership Data With Filmmakers; First Streamer To Reveal Ratings?
EXCLUSIVE: Documentary+, the non-fiction streaming service established by studio XTR, is to share viewership data with its filmmakers, potentially becoming the first digital platform to reveal ratings.
Artist and management community welcome Sony Music’s decision to pay royalties to artists on unrecouped pre-2000 record deals
The artist and management community have both welcomed a move by Sony Music to start paying through royalties to artists with record contracts that pre-date 2000 even if said artists are yet to ‘recoup’ on their original deal. The big announcement from the major comes amidst increased debate about the intricacies of record deals, partly sparked by the big conversation around the economics of streaming that has taken place during the COVID pandemic, and in no small part because of the #brokenrecord and #fixstreaming campaigns.
Sony Music writes off artists’ decades-old debts
Sony Music has cancelled the debts of thousands of artists who signed to the record label before the year 2000.
It means that many will now, for the first time, earn money when their songs are streamed on services like Spotify and Amazon Music.
Read More: https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-57445303
International Federation of Musicians Statement on Streaming Royalties (Or lack thereof)
Since the 2000s, the development of download platforms, then streaming services, has both contracted and expanded the music market. However, despite recently accelerating growth, the value thus created is not shared fairly. Indeed, the performers whose music creates this value receive little or no revenue when their recordings are used online with relatively few exceptions.
The Rolling Stones and Van Morrison among 76 new artists joining call for ER on streams
A bunch more legendary artists have joined the call for a change to UK copyright law that would result in so called performer equitable remuneration being paid on streams. The Rolling Stones, Van Morrison, Tom Jones and Barry Gibb are among those who have now joined the 156 artists who previously made that call via a letter to UK Prime Minister ‘Boris’ Johnson back in April.
European Songwriters Criticize Copyright Directive Implementation Delays — “Only a Handful of EU Member States Have Transposed the Directive”
Some 26 months after the European Council gave final approval to the European Union’s controversial, much-debated Copyright Directive, the legal act’s implementation deadline has arrived. However, European songwriters are now criticizing the “slow pace” at which certain EU member states are beginning to adopt the measure.
The Rolling Stones and Van Morrison among 76 new artists joining call for ER on streams
A bunch more legendary artists have joined the call for a change to UK copyright law that would result in so called performer equitable remuneration being paid on streams. The Rolling Stones, Van Morrison, Tom Jones and Barry Gibb are among those who have now joined the 156 artists who previously made that call via a letter to UK Prime Minister ‘Boris’ Johnson back in April.
The 50 Dollar Handshake Goes to Washington: Payola, Spotify and Steering Agreements
It will be old news to MTP readers, but Spotify has yet another feature that smacks of pay to play, or what is sometimes called “payola.” We’ve seen all of this before in a few different manifestations over the years, but this time a couple of Congressmen sent a letter about it to billionaire Daniel Ek, Spotify’s CEO. (See the Artist Rights Alliance op ed and Ashley Cullins reporting in The Hollywood Reporter.) This time it’s about Spotify’s “Discovery Mode” but it could just as easily have been about Spotify’s direct artist deals from a few years ago or the Pandora and iHeart “steering agreements” from a few years before that.
US Congress members say Spotify’s Discovery Mode raises “significant policy issues”, ask Daniel Ek five key questions
Two members of the US House Of Representatives have written to Spotify boss Daniel Ek stating that the streaming firm’s new Discovery Mode initiative raises “significant policy issues”. With that in mind, they want Ek to answer a number of questions about the scheme by 16 Jun.
Commission unveils Article 17 Guidance: 3 highlights
Today, after several months of waiting and with the deadline for the national transposition of the DSM Directive being just a weekend away (it will be on Monday, 7 June), the European Commission has issued its Guidance on the application of Article 17.
Read More: https://ipkitten.blogspot.com/2021/06/commission-unveils-article-17-guidance.html?m=1
Most Content Creators Are Still Underpaid — It Doesn’t Have to Be That Way (Guest Column)
I started my career as a composer, writing jingles and interstitial TV music. I was used to hearing my work out in the world, but I was still surprised when, on a trip to Tokyo about a decade ago, I caught a rerun of that year’s MTV Video Music Awards in a hotel gym; I had done all the show’s interstitials and packaging just weeks earlier. Now here I was, 7,000 miles from home, gazing at my treadmill’s built-in screen and reuniting with my own music. “Man,” I thought, “I have a cool job.”
Read More: https://variety.com/2021/music/news/most-content-creators-underpaid-muserk-1234988577/
NSAI Songwriters Respond To Criticism Of Decision Not To Challenge Physical Royalty Rates
In a letter to its members sent out today (June 2), songwriters and board members of the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), Steve Bogard, Lee Thomas Miller, and Liz Rose, address the recent criticism against the organization for its decision not to challenge the statutory royalty rate that record labels currently pay songwriters on physical products such as CDs and vinyl in the upcoming rate trial called CRB IV.
CISAC publishes its Annual Report 2021
Paris – 2nd June 2021 – CISAC, the global network of authors’ societies, today releases its 2021 Annual Report, calling for stronger rights for creators and detailing a year of resilience defending creators and societies in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read More: https://www.cisac.org/Newsroom/news-releases/annual-report-2021
Folie à deux: Will the Copyright Royalty Board Share the Madness of Pretending That Songwriters Aren’t Affected by Economic Inflation?
It is difficult to understand the reasons why, but the current proposal for mechanical royalty rates before the Copyright Royalty Board do not include an index for inflation. Until a 2006 it was customary to include a rate increase for mechanical royalties, often indexed to the Consumer Price Index (not the best index to chose, but serviceable). This practice began in 1978 but has been denied to a generation of songwriters since 2006 when certain mechanical rates were frozen and capped. Why? Because them what had the power to make the rules made that new rule and abandoned the old rule. And in the face of the edict from the rulemakers, the ruletakers simply sucked it up. They got away with it for 70 years when they froze the rate at 2¢, so why not try it again?
Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights
STUDY ON THE ARTISTS IN THE DIGITAL MUSIC MARKETPLACE: ECONOMIC AND LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS
Read the full report below:
Copyright Gunfight at the O.K. Corral: A Fistful of Dollars vs Rango before the Court of Rome
Can fictional characters be protected by copyright? This is a question that is both intriguing and difficult to answer, as the variety of tests adopted by courts in different jurisdictions also demonstrates. The Rome Court of First Instance has recently had to tackle this question, as Katfriends Fabio Ghiretti and Francesca Milani (both Mondini Bonora Ginevra) explain in their guest contribution.
Read More: https://ipkitten.blogspot.com/2021/06/guest-post-copyright-gunfight-at-ok.html?m=1