News

The Supreme Court agreed to hear challenges to the broad liability protections enjoyed by Google, Facebook and other social media companies for the third party content posted on their platforms. … Continue reading "Supreme Court To Hear Challenge To Liability Protections For YouTube And Other Tech Platforms"

Recent reports claimed that the star had become the first Hollywood figure to sell his rights to a company for virtual appearances in film and marketing projects. Read More: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/bruce-willis-refutes-report-digital-likeness-deepfake-1235231331/

The Future. Berlin-based musician Holly Herndon released an AI tool, dubbed Holly+, that allows any artist to use an AI version of their voice for whatever song they’re working on. … Continue reading "Musician clones herself into an AI deepfake voice"

In late 1964, caught on the horns of the sterling crises in a rapidly changing environment, UK Prime Minister Harold Wilson reportedly quipped: “A week is a long time in … Continue reading "Licensing, Lawsuits and Revenue Sharing: Meta’s Evolving Relationship with the Music Industry"

UK collecting society PRS For Music yesterday set out plans to launch a new online portal that will provide easy access to key data linked to the songs catalogue it … Continue reading "PRS announces plans for new portal offering easy access to song rights data"

A US judge has declined to dismiss one of the song-theft lawsuits that alleges Ed Sheeran ripped off Marvin Gaye’s ‘Let’s Get It On’ when he wrote his 2014 song … Continue reading "Judge declines to issue summary judgement in second song theft case over Ed Sheeran’s Thinking Out Loud"

Can you really trust the play counts on Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube? To find out, we interviewed the CEO of a company with a sophisticated method for validating play … Continue reading "Spotify Is Riddled With Fake Streams — Or Is It? Our Latest Podcast"

Meta has told a US court that a lawsuit filed against it by production music firm Epidemic Sound has so many “vague assertions and glaring omissions” in it that it … Continue reading "Meta criticises Epidemic’s copyright lawsuit over “vague assertions and glaring omissions”"

The American record industry has welcomed the introduction of formal proposals in the US Senate that would force AM and FM radio stations in the country to start paying royalties … Continue reading "American industry welcomes the launch of radio royalty proposals in US Senate"

As short-form video explodes, YouTube, Twitch, Snap and other tech platforms are reasserting leverage with influencers in the area that matters most: how to divvy up subscription and ad revenues. … Continue reading "Social Media Giants to Top Creators: Your Terms of Service Have Changed"

YouTube yesterday announced a new service called Creator Music which aims to make it easier for creators on the video platform to use commercially released music in their content while … Continue reading "YouTube launches new music micro-licensing service for its video creators"

The video giant will pool together the revenue from all Shorts ads and dole out that money to creators based on their share of total Shorts views. Read More: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/youtube-shorts-ad-revenue-sharing-1235223925/

The order follows recent directives by a federal appeals court not to dismiss copyright cases too early. Muppet Babies, a reboot of the 1984 animated series of the same name, … Continue reading "Disney Loses Bid to Dismiss ‘Muppet Babies’ Reboot Copyright Suit"

Eight WGA West members have been elected to the guild’s board of directors in a race that foreshadowed a possible writers strike next year. Former board member Angelina Burnett was … Continue reading "WGA West Elects Eight Board Members As Possible Writers Strike Looms In May"

D’you know the best time to interview a C-suite executive at a giant music company? When they’ve already announced they’re leaving. Read More: https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/steve-cooper-warner-has-reduced-our-dependency-on-superstars-calls-for-regular/

UK-based PACE Rights Management has welcomed a recent ruling in the Belgian courts regarding a dispute over the rates charged and methodology employed by song rights collecting society SABAM in … Continue reading "PACE welcomes court ruling on the live music tariff of Belgian collecting society SABAM"

Miley Cyrus is the latest musician to be hit with a copyright infringement lawsuit by photographer Robert Barbera over photos she posted to Instagram. He has previously sued Justin Bieber, … Continue reading "Miley Cyrus the latest artist to be sued over sharing pap photo on social media"

This blog has already covered the decision of the Rome Court of First Instance concerning a copyright infringement claim concerning a fictional character. The action had been brought by the … Continue reading "Another shot for Rango (but, incidentally, the “fair use” defence in Italy has been shot too): Rome Appeal Court confirms there is no misappropriation nor infringement of the “Man With No Name” character"

A federal judge has officially denied Spotify’s early motion for summary judgement against Kobalt as part of a long-running legal battle centering on allegedly unpaid royalties for billions of Eminem … Continue reading "Judge Denies Spotify’s Early Motion For Summary Judgement Against Kobalt In Eminem Publisher Legal Battle"

A total of 2,000 musicians, painters and writers in Ireland are set to receive a weekly basic income of €325 ($330) per week under a new scheme to be piloted … Continue reading "2,000 artists and creatives in Ireland to be paid basic income of $330 per week under new pilot scheme"

UK-based music firm Greensleeves has settled a legal battle with Chris Brown and his label over the allegations that the musician ripped off an earlier song that it publishes on … Continue reading "Greensleeves settles with Chris Brown over alleged song theft"

Private equity firm Francisco Partners has confirmed it is acquiring a majority stake in Kobalt, though the current management team at the music publishing company will remain in place following … Continue reading "Francisco Partners acquires majority stake in Kobalt"

The WGA has settled an arbitration against Amazon, collecting more than $4 million in underpaid residuals and interest owed to 37 screenwriters on 31 films produced or acquired by Amazon. … Continue reading "WGA Collects Over $4 Million In Settlement With Amazon Over Unpaid Residuals"

The European Composer & Songwriter Alliance has welcomed a new report on the streaming market in Germany commissioned by German song rights collecting society GEMA which, it says, echos many … Continue reading "ECSA says new GEMA study puts spotlight back on digital pie debate"

A group of independent movie companies has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against AT&T. The Internet provider, which has over 80 million subscribers in the US, faces far-reaching demands. In … Continue reading "Filmmakers Sue AT&T to Block Pirate Sites & Disconnect Repeat Infringers"

Venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) is trying to clean up the messy state of crypto copyright. Last week, the company introduced what it dubs “Can’t Be Evil” licenses: a … Continue reading "Andreessen Horowitz wants to fix NFT copyright with its ‘Can’t Be Evil’ license"

A US judge has dismissed a man’s latest lawsuit against Nirvana over the band’s iconic 1991 album cover which showed him naked as a baby. Spencer Elden, 31, said his … Continue reading "Nirvana win lawsuit over 1991 Nevermind album cover"

The streaming services and the US music publishers have reached a deal over the royalty rate paid by the former to the latter, which means neither side will have to … Continue reading "Streaming services and music publishers reach deal on song royalty rates in the US"

The National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA), the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), and the Digital Media Association (DiMA) have officially unveiled a settlement agreement for the Phonorecords IV proceeding, which … Continue reading "Settlement Announced For Phonorecords IV Proceeding — Streaming Services Agree to 15.35% Headline Rate For 2023-2027"

SAG-AFTRA members have voted to ratify the union’s latest stand-alone contract deal with Netflix. After the voting period ended Aug. 31, the vote was 89.03 percent in favor of the … Continue reading "SAG-AFTRA Members Vote to Ratify Netflix Deal"

The National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA), the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), and the Digital Media Association (DiMA) have officially unveiled a settlement agreement for the Phonorecords IV proceeding, which … Continue reading "Settlement Announced For Phonorecords IV Proceeding — Streaming Services Agree to 15.35% Headline Rate For 2023-2027"

Management firm TaP Music last week confirmed that Larry Heard and Robert Owens – prominent players from the 1980s Chicago house scene and two thirds of Fingers Inc – have … Continue reading "Larry Heard and Robert Owens settle Trax Records dispute, reclaim their music rights"

A former Vanity Fair photo editor has sued Netflix over how she was portrayed in the hit series Inventing Anna. Rachel DeLoache Williams was among the real people who were … Continue reading "Inventing Anna: Rachel DeLoache Williams sues Netflix for defamation"

The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has announced that the Local Radio Freedom Act is now backed by a bipartisan majority in the House of Representatives. Read More: https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2022/08/29/local-radio-freedom-act-house-support/?mc_cid=5c91bb9ef1

Paramount filed a motion on Friday to dismiss a lawsuit that claims that “Top Gun: Maverick” infringes on the copyright of the 1983 magazine article that was the source material … Continue reading "Paramount Seeks to Throw Out ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Copyright Lawsuit"

Taylor Swift has been sued yet again over allegations that she has ripped off another creator’s work. Though this time it’s not a song-theft lawsuit. Instead, writer Teresa La Dart … Continue reading "Taylor Swift’s Lover book accused of ripping off elements of earlier poetry collection"

As the leaders of the Artist Rights Alliance, Copyright Alliance, and CreativeFuture, we believe in the right of creative people to make a living through their creativity, ingenuity, and hard … Continue reading "17,000 people say the Internet Is already broken"

Kobalt Music is removing its 700,000-song catalog from Instagram and Facebook due to license expiry. The company says its music licensing agreement with Meta expired and the two parties have … Continue reading "Kobalt Music Removes All Music from Facebook, Instagram — And the Standoff Begins"

A record label has cut ties with an AI rapper after criticism it contained racial stereotypes, including repeated use of the N-word. FN Meka is an artificial intelligence musician given … Continue reading "AI rapper FN Meka dropped by Capitol over racial stereotyping"

STIM, The Swedish Performing Rights Society, is now providing YouTubers unlimited access to a broad catalog of copyright-protected ‘hit’ music. The Swedish Performing Rights Society, STIM, presents Cora Music, providing … Continue reading "Swedish Rights Collecting Society STIM Offers YouTubers Pre-Licensed ‘Hits’ for Videos"

There’s the old joke of three people interviewing for head of royalties. They’re all given the same complicated accounting problem. The first whipped out a calculator and started running numbers … Continue reading "Orleans Lawsuit Against WMG Reveals The Truth About Streaming Fees"

YouTube has officially fired back against Grammy-winning jazz composer Maria Schneider and several other parties who are suing over alleged Content ID discrimination. Read More: https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2022/08/24/youtube-response-maria-schneider-content-id-lawsuit/?mc_cid=e4d9dbd5ad

LOS ANGELES (CN) — The Writers Guild of America restored Hollywood talent firm Creative Artists Agency’s ability to represent screenwriters after agreeing Wednesday to end a nearly two-year legal battle … Continue reading "Hollywood Talent Agency Strikes Deal With Writers Guild to End Boycott"

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Michelle was paid $625,000 for her performance in All the Money in the World which earned her a Golden Globes nomination. In comparison, her costar … Continue reading "11 Actors Who Made Over $20 Million For Just One Movie, And 11 Who Were Stupidly Underpaid"

At a time when The Last Dance, Athlete A, Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist and other popular documentaries prominently feature copyrighted audiovisuals of athletes, the UFC is suing the … Continue reading "UFC Sues Documentary Production Team in Copyright Dispute"

In the wider scheme of things, ongoing litigation in relation to his unapproved use of Eddy Grant’s ‘Electric Avenue’ in a 2020 campaign video probably isn’t a major cause of … Continue reading "Eddy Grant to subpoena Donald Trump’s former Deputy Chief Of Staff in Electric Avenue campaign video dispute"

Following the recent release of her new album ‘Traumazine’, Megan Thee Stallion has ramped up her ongoing legal battle with her label 1501 Certified Entertainment, now seeking a million dollars … Continue reading "Megan Thee Stallion ramps up label dispute, demands a million dollars in damages"

ASCAP Seeks to Protect its Songwriters’ Livelihoods by Taking Legal Action Against 7 Venues Nationwide for Performing Their Musical Works Without Permission Read More: https://www.ascap.com/press/2022/08/08-23-venues-refuse-pay-songwriters

The Californian Supreme Court has ruled against Sony Music and the Michael Jackson estate in regard to a free speech question that was raised after it was alleged that three … Continue reading "Californian Supreme Court rules on free speech claims in Michael Jackson fake vocals dispute"

There’s the old joke of three people interviewing for head of royalties. They’re all given the same complicated accounting problem. The first whipped out a calculator and started running numbers … Continue reading "Orleans case sheds light on fees, fees, and more fees"

About one week after ending its pursuit of a more than billion-dollar sale, Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) has announced a round of layoffs. Team members were just recently informed of … Continue reading "BMI Announces Layoffs After Abandoning Goldman-Assisted Sales Pursuit"

The backlog in the vinyl industry since the pandemic began means that artists and some music fans are having to wait around a year to receive their records. Read More: … Continue reading "Is there a green solution to the vinyl record backlog?"

Long before Denzel Washington, Spike Lee or even Sidney Poitier, generations of pioneering and revolutionary Black US filmmakers played a key role in shaping early American cinema and dispelling pejorative … Continue reading "Academy unearths long-lost ‘race films’ in Black cinema exhibit"

Last month, stand-up star Lewis Black became the latest comedian to sue SiriusXM’s Pandora amid a broader royalties dispute. Now, evidence suggests that SiriusXM is attempting to compel different comedy … Continue reading "SiriusXM Is Now Compelling Spoken-Word Creators to Waive The ‘Rights to All Underlying Comedy Routines’"

A confluence of hard bargaining and legislative lobbying helped secure significant gains in two new agreements SAG-AFTRA reached earlier this month covering exclusivity, which are standard provisions in TV contracts … Continue reading "SAG-AFTRA’s Lobbying Efforts Helped Seal Exclusivity Deals With Netflix & AMPTP"

The green memo sent out by the production team of the programme Poldark asked that the location department use low-carbon suppliers of lighting and reusable batteries wherever possible. The request … Continue reading "How to make movies without a huge carbon footprint"

While the exact number is in dispute, in what has now become an infamous statistic, at a minimum music streaming services (“DSPs”) are ingesting tens of thousands of new tracks … Continue reading "How artists are exploiting lax metadata protections by streaming services"

In July of 2020, Grammy-winning composer Maria Schneider sued YouTube over alleged Content ID discrimination. Now, about two weeks after a judge rejected the Google-owned platform’s motion to dismiss the … Continue reading "YouTube Fights to Limit Data Disclosure in Battle with Grammy-Winning Composer Maria Schneider"

Between today’s many royalty streams and their distinct tax implications, music industry payments are more complex than ever. Now, with a new name and a multimillion-dollar Series A under its … Continue reading "A Closer Look at Trolley — The Canadian Fintech Taking Aim at Royalty Payment Complexity"

SAG-AFTRA announced on Monday evening that it has reached a tentative agreement with the major studios on actor exclusivity periods, an issue that has become a top priority for the … Continue reading "SAG-AFTRA Reaches Deal With Studios on Actors’ Exclusivity"

TikTokers used to find music primarily through dance trends. Now they’re gravitating to creators who recommend new songs. Read More: https://www.billboard.com/pro/tiktok-curators-viral-songs/#recipient_hashed=3a259dd7948fa5cf81748fd59fbfdb0cdc19448cf6f4bf505f19cde98578e9d3

A ragtag group of misfits, each with their own unique skill, bands together to pull off a high-stakes con. Depending on your preferences and streaming subscriptions, the film that comes … Continue reading "That Was My Idea! How Hollywood Is Avoiding Story Theft Claims"

Next year’s contract talks and a possible writers strike are looming large over the WGA West’s ongoing board election, in which 17 candidates are vying for eight open seats. The … Continue reading "WGA West Board Candidates Address Wide Range Of Issues Ahead Of Next Year’s Contract Talks And Possible Strike"

The long-running lawsuit over whether or not three songs that appeared on a posthumous Michael Jackson album actually featured the vocals of an impersonator has been settled. It follows the … Continue reading "Long-running lawsuit over disputed Michael Jackson vocals dismissed"

The French director, film critic and voracious cinephile Francois Truffaut once suggested a thought experiment. Imagine, he said, that there was only one copy of a book, and that copy … Continue reading "Why’d That Movie Disappear? Welcome to Streaming’s Memory Hole Era"

Inside the brazen but surprisingly simple scheme that took royalties from songs by artists like Daddy Yankee, Anuel AA, Julio Iglesias and more. Read More: https://www.billboard.com/pro/youtube-fraud-royalties-scam-irs-latin-chenel-yenddi-mediamuv-adrev/

ATLANTA (CN) — A rap battle found its way to the 11th Circuit on Tuesday, where judges heard arguments in a producer’s appeal of a ruling that he had infringed … Continue reading "Music producer challenges copyright infringement claims over hit rap song"

Taylor Swift has officially submitted sworn testimony in response to one of multiple copyright infringement lawsuits she’s faced over “Shake It Off.” The 32-year-old singer-songwriter just recently pushed back against … Continue reading "Taylor Swift Submits Sworn Testimony In Latest ‘Shake It Off’ Copyright Infringement Battle: The Lyrics ‘Were Written Entirely By Me’"

Inside the brazen but surprisingly simple scheme that took royalties from songs by artists like Daddy Yankee, Anuel AA, Julio Iglesias and more. Read More: https://www.billboard.com/pro/youtube-fraud-royalties-scam-irs-latin-chenel-yenddi-mediamuv-adrev/

SAG-AFTRA Board Approves Tentative Netflix Agreement Read More: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/sag-aftra-netflix-agreement-1235195196/

The Chairman of the musicFIRST Coalition in the US – former Congress member Joe Crowley – last week accused American radio giants iHeart and Cumulus of hypocrisy after they bigged … Continue reading "musicFIRST chair accuses US radio giants of hypocrisy"

A court in California has declined to dismiss on jurisdiction grounds Lil Yachty’s lawsuit against DIY distributor Ditto Music and its co-founder Lee Parsons. It means the litigation – in … Continue reading "Judge declines to dismiss Lil Yachty’s Ditto Music lawsuit on jurisdiction grounds"

A US judge has declined to dismiss the lawsuit being pursued by musician Maria Schneider against YouTube over who has access to the Google service’s Content ID rights management system. … Continue reading "US judge declines to dismiss Maria Schneider legal battle with YouTube over Content ID access"

While Europe is still grasping with the impact of the RAAP case, another part of the world, Australia, needs a fix too. Since the country has limited the scope of … Continue reading "Susan Cotchin (Good Neighbour Rights): ‘Australia’s decision to limit the application of Art. 15 of WIPO’s WPPT has impacted Australian artists in a big way’"

The last few years have been an incredibly gruelling time for the music industry, the effects of which will be felt for years to come. Whilst performers have been increasingly … Continue reading "Neighbouring Rights: It’s Time to Bridge the ‘Broken’ UK-Australia Performer Gap"

judge in Minnesota finally signed off earlier this week on a settlement deal in relation to Prince’s estate. The musician had not prepared a will before his untimely death in … Continue reading "Legal wrangling over Prince estate over as judge signs off on deal"

Beyoncé has received backlash on her latest album “Renaissance,” which has resulted in the removal of a sample from her song “Energy” – but not for legal reasons. Headlines such … Continue reading "Beyoncé brings all the samples to the yard and they’re like…it’s been licenced"

The death of “Batgirl” on Tuesday sent immediate shockwaves through Hollywood. The film — with a $75 million budget that grew to $90 million due to COVID-related overages — had … Continue reading "Why Warner Bros. Killed ‘Batgirl’: Inside the Decision Not to Release the DC Movie"

Talk is cheap, as they say, but Merck Mercuriadis can walk the walk. So when, in April 2019, the eloquent Hipgnosis Songs founder and CEO informed Music Week of his … Continue reading "The Music Week Interview: Merck Mercuriadis"

We haven’t heard much about it lately, but the Mechanical Licensing Collective quango is sitting on some $500,000,000 of other people’s money since they received that first $424,000,000 tranche according … Continue reading "The Federal Reserve Raises the Interest Rate for the MLC’s Black Box in Good News for Songwriters"

Megan Thee Stallion and Big Sean are the latest artists on the receiving end of a good old song-theft lawsuit, they being accused of ripping off an earlier track on … Continue reading "Megan Thee Stallion and Big Sean sued for alleged song-theft"

It’s hard to think of a more brain-deadening topic than the U.S. Copyright Royalty Board’s proceedings over the rates for music streaming. But deep in the dense legalese lies a … Continue reading "Inside the Multi-Billion Dollar Battle Royale Over Music-Streaming Royalties"

Artificial intelligence is driving the information revolution and its presence is increasingly commonplace — for example, in smart speakers, self-driving cars, social media monitoring and healthcare technology, to name but … Continue reading "An AI for art: Copyright considerations for artificial intelligence"

The Consumer Technology Association returned to Las Vegas in January for its prestigious CES technology event in person, after going online last year due to the pandemic. Considered one of … Continue reading "Duncan Crabtree-Ireland Talks Performers’ Rights in the Digital Age"

The lawsuit that accused Sam Smith and Normani of ripping off their 2019 hit ‘Dancing With A Stranger’ from an earlier song called ‘Dancing With Strangers’ is “rambling”, “repetitive” and … Continue reading "Sam Smith and Normani hit back against Dancing With A Stranger song-theft lawsuit"

The UK’s competition watchdog has found streaming has made the music industry challenging for many artists. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said more than 80% of recorded music was … Continue reading "Music industry as tough as it has always been, watchdog says"

Some people say the modern music business lacks entrepreneurial new independent record companies. Those people haven’t met Stef van Vugt. The 25-year-old Dutchman founded Strange Fruits (now Fruits Music) in … Continue reading "Strange Fruits has tens of billions of streams – but it’s not without controversy. Its 25-year-old founder speaks out."

British startup Audoo inks song detection deal with APRA AMCOS in Australia and New Zealand. Award-winning public performance royalty technology start-up Audoo has partnered with the leading Australasian performing rights … Continue reading "Audoo Inks Song Detection Deal With APRA AMCOS In Australia & New Zealand"

Remember how the physical mechanical increased from 9.1¢ to 12¢? And it applies to each record sold? If a songwriter got a cut and the artist sold 100 records, the … Continue reading "Streaming Mechanical Complexity Begets Complexity Begets Legal Fees"

This morning, we reported on the latest streaming economics story in the UK: regulator the CMA’s decision not to refer a full market investigation of the music industry. Now attention … Continue reading "US campaign for a direct artist streaming royalty steps up"

After taking several steps to regulate the role over the last few years, the performers’ union has passed a resolution to offer membership to intimacy coordinators. Read More: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/sag-aftra-to-open-union-eligibility-to-intimacy-coordinators-1235185760/

Kobalt, one of the world’s largest music publishers, has removed its entire 700,000-song catalog from Facebook and Instagram in the United States, a rep for the company confirms to Variety. … Continue reading "Kobalt Music Removes More Than 700,000 Songs From Facebook and Instagram"

Recognize the Music, described by its organizers as an initiative “to drive fairer, more accurate royalty payments” by bringing Audoo’s music identification tool to UK venues, has officially debuted. Read … Continue reading "‘Recognize the Music’ Initiative Launches to Bring Music Identification Technology to UK Venues"

Production music company Epidemic Sound has sued Meta in the US in order to, and I quote, “stop the theft of music created by hundreds of musicians, songwriters, producers and … Continue reading "Epidemic Sound sues Meta for copyright infringement"

Kobalt-owned collecting society AMRA this week confirmed it is now directly licensing the mechanical rights of its clients’ songs to streaming services in Canada. Read More: https://completemusicupdate.com/article/amra-now-directly-licensing-streaming-services-in-canada/

The last couple of years has seen the emergence of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) as an important medium for the creation, sale and collection of art, with numerous instances of big … Continue reading "NFTs and Copyright: Some Burning Issues"

The European Union’s Commissioner For The Internal Market, Thierry Breton, has issued a statement saying that, in principle, EU member states can introduce a new remuneration right for performers when … Continue reading "EU Commissioner says copyright directive implementation can include a new ER right for performers"

A new initiative in the UK is hoping to make sure public performance royalties are paid out more accurately. It’s called Recognise the Music, and is a partnership involving the … Continue reading "Recognise the Music wants more-accurate public performance payouts"

The radio industry has been dealt a setback in its effort to rework how the federal courts determine how much stations pay to ASCAP and BMI in royalty payments. U.S. … Continue reading "Federal Judge Puts Hold On RMLC’s Legal Maneuver In ASCAP And BMI Rate-Setting."

Pro Music Rights, a music licensing company, has agreed to go public through a reverse merger with Nuvus Gro. The move comes as Pro Music Rights CEO Jake Noch being … Continue reading "Pro Music Rights Going Public"

About three months after celebrating the anniversary of its fan-powered royalty model, SoundCloud has officially inked a global licensing deal with Warner Music Group. Under the pact, WMG will become … Continue reading "Warner Music Group Officially Adopts ‘Fan-Powered’ Royalty Model On SoundCloud: ‘Today’s Deal Is a Major Milestone’"

There’s a storm brewing in Hollywood’s creative community, just as the largest unions and employers are preparing to wrestle anew at the contract bargaining table. Read More: https://variety.com/2022/tv/features/ownership-cover-hollywood-tv-creatives-wga-sag-dga-1235319528/#recipient_hashed=3a259dd7948fa5cf81748fd59fbfdb0cdc19448cf6f4bf505f19cde98578e9d3

Writers and artists who create characters that power the Marvel Cinematic Universe say the company offers a labyrinthine compensation system that underpays them. Read More: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/marvel-movie-math-comic-creators-1235183158/

The UK’s Competition & Markets Authority has published a lengthy update on its study of the music streaming market. Although the study is ongoing, the competition regulator says it is … Continue reading "CMA declines to recommend a full market investigation into music streaming"

YouTube is shortening the waiting window for creators who want to dispute Content ID flags. Read More: https://www.tubefilter.com/2022/07/19/youtube-content-id-appeal-shortened/

A US judge has again rejected efforts by Spotify to stop – or at least delay – a deposition of its CEO Daniel Ek as part of an ongoing legal … Continue reading "US judge again declines to delay Daniel Ek deposition in Eminem v Spotify case"

The granddaughter of the late Jay Livingston – a prolific songwriter perhaps best known from co-writing ‘Que Sera Sera’ – has gone legal in a complicated dispute with her mother … Continue reading "Descendants of Que Sera Sera writer in dispute over rights, royalties and termination notices"

Another day, another Kanye lawsuit. And yes, that is the second time we’ve said that this week. This time Kanye West is being sued by LA-based production company Phantom Labs … Continue reading "Kanye West sued by production firm over unpaid fees"

A US judge has ruled by summary judgement that energy drink Bang is liable for copyright infringement for including Universal Music controlled tracks in its promotional videos on TikTok without … Continue reading "Court says Bang’s own TikTok videos infringed Universal’s rights, but not its influencer content"

SAG-AFTRA members have voted overwhelmingly to ratify a new Network Television Code, which generates more than $200 million a year in covered earnings for members working on nearly all non-primetime … Continue reading "SAG-AFTRA Members Overwhelmingly Ratify New $200 Million-A-Year Network Television Code"

The Oscar-winning filmmaker Jane Campion says she fears Netflix will be more “picky” about the projects it funds in the future, after the streaming giant saw subscriber numbers fall. Read … Continue reading "Jane Campion: Netflix may be more picky over projects after subscriber fall"

The European Parliament has voted through the Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act which will, respectively, increase the obligations of digital platforms to deal with harmful content and conduct … Continue reading "European Parliament passes Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act"

It’s been a month since Jeff Sagansky’s fiery speech at a NATPE event proclaimed that “we are in a golden age of content production and the dark age of creative … Continue reading "Jeff Sagansky Says New Streaming Business Model “Has To Be Relegated To The Dust Bin” Now"

Music Business Worldwide sources suggest that TikTok’s deals with rightsholders are currently ‘buy-outs’ rather than ‘revenue share’ deals – i.e. the platform pays a lump sum upfront to license music … Continue reading "When will TikTok start paying the music industry ‘properly’?"

The European Parliament has officially voted in favor of the far-reaching Digital Services Act, which, among other things, will implement a number of operational requirements for ticket-resale platforms. Read More: … Continue reading "European Parliament Passes the ‘Digital Services Act’ — Sweeping Regulations For ‘Online Marketplaces’ Including Ticket-Resale Platforms"

Britney Spears’ attorney Mathew Rosengart has filed new legal papers accusing the company that formerly worked as his client’s business manager – Tri Star Sports & Entertainment Group – of … Continue reading "Britney Spears accuses former business manager of being involved in setting up conservatorship"

The American Copyright Royalty Board has upheld its previous decision regarding the top-line streaming royalty rate for songs, which increased the percentage of streaming service revenue allocated to the song … Continue reading "US Copyright Royalty Board reconfirms 15.1% streaming rate for songwriters and publishers"

A host of global independent producers attending the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival have voiced their concerns on the issue of IP retention when it comes to working with the … Continue reading "Global Indie Producers Voice Concerns Of IP Retention When Working With Streamers — KVIFF Industry Panel"

Justin Timberlake has just discovered that Hell may hath no legal fury like a documentary director scorned. The former NSYNC member is being sued in federal court by long time … Continue reading "Justin Timberlake Sued For Big Bucks In Lost Profit Sharing From Shelved ’20/20 Experience’ Documentary"

Clint Eastwood was awarded $2 million in a lawsuit accusing a CBD retailer of stealing his name and likeness to promote its products. The verdict is the second in favor … Continue reading "Clint Eastwood Wins $2M in Trademark Infringement Suit Over Fake CBD Endorsement"

One of the best ways to make money as a musician is through sync (ie: licensing). Dive into that world, however, and you’ll quickly discover there’s a vast difference between … Continue reading "What Are the Differences Between Making Sync Music and Artist Music?"

APRA AMCOS today welcomes the completion of the free trade agreement between Aotearoa New Zealand and the European Union. “This is a significant announcement for New Zealand on many fronts … Continue reading "APRA AMCOS Welcomes Aotearoa Copyright Extension – EU-NZ FTA A"

Kanye West has been sued over an allegedly uncleared sample in a track on his recent ‘Donda 2’ album. According to the publisher of the sampled song, West’s track ‘Flowers’ … Continue reading "Kanye West sued over uncleared sample on Donda 2"

The rock icon’s music assets carry a valuation of between $25-30 million, according to Billboard estimates. Read More: https://www.billboard.com/pro/frank-zappa-song-publishing-catalogs-universal-music-group-archive/#recipient_hashed=3a259dd7948fa5cf81748fd59fbfdb0cdc19448cf6f4bf505f19cde98578e9d3

That’s according to Los Angeles County Public Health Officer Barbara Ferrer, and also seemingly according to the film and TV industry’s current Return-to-Work Agreement. Read More: https://deadline.com/2022/06/los-angeles-film-tv-productions-masks-1235055066/#recipient_hashed=3a259dd7948fa5cf81748fd59fbfdb0cdc19448cf6f4bf505f19cde98578e9d3

Ricky Martin’s former talent manager has issued a stark warning to the Grammy winner and Emmy nominee: pay up or reap the whirlwind. Specifically, in “excess of USD $3,000,000, or … Continue reading "Ricky Martin Hit With $3M Unpaid Commissions Lawsuit; Ex-Manager Claims She Saved Him From “Potentially Career-Ending Allegation”"

SoundExchange is officially suing LiveOne and Slacker for allegedly failing to pay owed royalties for streams from the last five-plus years. Read More: https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2022/06/29/soundexchange-liveone-slacker-lawsuit/?mc_cid=db2761d5d3

Earlier this month, reports indicated that California lawmakers would once again consider legislation (still referred to as the FAIR Act despite a formal name change) designed to modify the controversial … Continue reading "Watered-Down ‘Fair Act’ Fails In California Senate — As Its Actor Counterpart Cruises Out of Committee"

Universal Music has been sued by the estate of photographer Chi Modu over an image of Tupac Shakur that features on a post on the major’s own editorial website uDiscoverMusic.com. … Continue reading "Universal Music sued over Tupac photo"

The Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) could be preparing to issue a major royalty-rate hike for streaming services, which are reportedly looking to delay retroactive payments for the 2018-2022 (Phonorecords III) … Continue reading "Ahead of the CRB’s Phonorecords III Determination, Are Streaming Services Preparing for a Major Rate Hike?"

The pan-European trade group for the independent music community, IMPALA, has urged European countries seeking to address concerns around fair remuneration in the digital music sector to follow the French … Continue reading "IMPALA calls for French style agreements on fair digital remuneration instead of ER"

Domino Records has issued a statement following the news earlier this week that it had reached a settlement with Four Tet ending an on going legal battle over digital royalties. … Continue reading "Domino comments on Four Tet settlement, insists no precedent set"

After two years of pandemic upheaval, one of the biggest debates in the movie industry appears to be settled. The return of the old-fashioned blockbuster — see the supersonic success … Continue reading "Europe’s Theatrical Window Standoff Gives Studios Pause Over Strategy"

Domino Records has settled its legal battle with Four Tet over what royalty rate he should be paid on streams. The label has agreed to pay a 50% royalty, which … Continue reading "Domino Records settles Four Tet dispute, commits to pay 50% royalty on digital"

Ed Sheeran and his ‘Shape Of You’ co-writers have been awarded more than £900,000 in legal costs following their win in the headline-grabbing song-theft case in the London high court … Continue reading "Ed Sheeran awarded £900,000+ costs following win in Shape Of You song-theft case"

Pioneering electronic artist Four Tet has reached a settlement in the legal battle against his former record label. The musician, whose real name is Kieran Hebden, sued Domino Records last … Continue reading "Four Tet wins royalty battle over streaming music"

Sony Music last week told the high court in London that a dispute over the rights in the Jimi Hendrix Experience recordings should be heard in the New York courts, … Continue reading "Jimi Hendrix Experience dispute should happen in New York, says Sony"

Two members of American rock band Orleans have sued Warner Music over a common gripe in the artist community: record companies allowing their foreign subsidiaries to make deductions on digital … Continue reading "Warner Music sued again over international deductions"

Belgium’s Parliament yesterday updated the country’s copyright laws to bring them in line with the 2019 European Copyright Directive and in doing so added a performer equitable remuneration right for … Continue reading "Belgium introduces ER right on streams"

Over one million music streaming subscriptions have been cancelled in the UK, with the cost of living crisis forcing households to make savings. Read More: https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-61825677

Some progress has been made on the legislative front in terms of South Africa’s journey to amend its copyright statute. On Friday last week (10 June 2022), South Africa’s Portfolio … Continue reading "Long walk to copyright reform #4: South Africa’s Parliamentary Committee approves a revised Copyright Amendment Bill"

Recently, I spoke in the PRS London Members’ Day panel about NFTs, alongside Cliff Fluet (Lewis Silkin) and Mike Walsh (Serenade). There has obviously been a considerable amount of excitement … Continue reading "Ten things to know about NFTs"

Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy built their reputations with a relationship-driven, filmmaker-friendly approach — but that style might be at odds with the imperative to save money. Read More: … Continue reading "As David Zaslav Reshapes Warner Bros., Are His New Film Execs on the Same Page?"

A Los Angeles Superior Court judge this morning set May 8, 2023 as the date the court battle between Justin Hurwitz and the Endeavor-owned talent agency and the now divested … Continue reading "WME Fraud Lawsuit From ‘La La Land’ Composer Gets 2023 Jury Trial Date – Update"

It became the speech heard around Hollywood — Jeff Sagansky’s blistering comments last week about the adverse impact the proliferation of the streaming-driven “cost plus” business model has had on … Continue reading "John Wells Says Industry “Will Have To Return To More Shared Rights Agreements” In Response To Jeff Sagansky’s Speech About Vanishing Backend – HRTS"

SCAPR – the global organisation for performer collecting societies – has a new board following an election at its General Assembly in Rome last week. Read More: https://completemusicupdate.com/article/new-board-and-chair-for-global-collecting-society-grouping-scapr/

Singer Mariah Carey is being sued for copyright infringement over her 1994 Christmas mega-hit, All I Want for Christmas is You. Songwriter Andy Stone says he co-wrote a song with … Continue reading "Mariah Carey sued for copyright over ‘All I want for Christmas is You’"

On the topic of unauthorized use of a celebrity’s image, readers might recall the IPKat post covering the high-profile Michael Jordan case in China in 2017. Regarding the monochrome red-coloured … Continue reading "After Michael Jordan: a new typical case on what is the right of likeness under the Civil Code of China"

Singer Robbie Williams has said fame “should come with a health warning” as he gears up for a homecoming gig. The star, who has had a string of hits since … Continue reading "Robbie Williams: Fame ‘intoxicating but isolating’"

Organizer Ben Speight discusses bringing production workers back into IATSE Local 839, expanding its jurisdiction beyond L.A. County for the first time and how workers today are showing they “are … Continue reading "Animation Guild Organizer Outlines Renewed Push to Build Labor Power"

Studios and streamers believe they’re saving money in the long run, but they could actually be hurting quality and the bottom line Read More: https://www.thewrap.com/hollywood-talent-compensation-streamers-analysis/

Readers may recall that the Government of Hong Kong launched a 3-month consultation on updating Hong Kong’s copyright regime on 24 November 2021. Following this consultation, the Government reported that … Continue reading "Hong Kong – Copyright (Amendment) Bill 2022 Gazetted"

While ticketing giants offer bullish forecasts for the return of concertgoers this year, indie operators who have relied on federal grants to stay afloat amid COVID-19 are more measured: “There’s … Continue reading "Live Concerts Are Back, But Small Venues Face Longer Road to Recovery"

The Scott Stuber-run division is adjusting to a new set of realities as it readies a $200 million-plus ‘The Gray Man’ from the ‘Avengers: Endgame’ helmers and a pricey set … Continue reading "Behind Netflix’s Leaner Movie Mandate: Bigger, Fewer and Better"

The Scott Stuber-run division is adjusting to a new set of realities as it readies a $200 million-plus ‘The Gray Man’ from the ‘Avengers: Endgame’ helmers and a pricey set … Continue reading "Behind Netflix’s Leaner Movie Mandate: Bigger, Fewer and Better"

Jeff Sagansky, a media investor and producer and former top entertainment executive, is sounding the alarm on the adverse impact the now prevalent “cost plus” business model has had on … Continue reading "Jeff Sagansky Slams Streaming-Driven TV Business Model: “We Are In A Golden Age Of Content Production And The Dark Age Of Creative Profit Sharing”"

The Austrian Supreme Court held that YouTube – as a host service provider – was not responsible for copyright infringements by its users as long as it was not put … Continue reading "Austrian Supreme Court finds YouTube not responsible for copyright infringements by users"

Anita Baker has publicly thanked Chance The Rapper for helping her regain control of her master recordings after spotting him in the audience at a show in Las Vegas this … Continue reading "Anita Baker thanks Chance The Rapper for helping out in her recent masters dispute"

Round Hill Music has sued the rapper B.o.B claiming that he owes them $3 million after reneging on a past royalty rights agreement. Read More: https://completemusicupdate.com/article/round-hill-sues-b-o-b-in-royalty-rights-dispute/

In a wide-ranging interview published today in the New York Times, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos has doubled down on his prior defenses of artistic freedom, backing comedians Dave Chappelle and … Continue reading "Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos Defends Dave Chappelle, Ricky Gervais Free Speech: “It Used To Be A Very Liberal Issue”"

The case highlights escalating tension between talent who stand to profit from theatrical releases and media companies seeking to draw viewers to their streaming services. Read More: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/village-roadshows-lawsuit-against-warner-bros-over-matrix-resurrections-sent-to-arbitration-1235155383/

UPDATED, 4:14 PM: A Superior Court judge in Los Angeles has ruled that Mamie Mitchell, the script supervisor who was standing next to cinematographer Halyna Hutchins when she was fatally … Continue reading "‘Rust’ Script Supervisor’s Lawsuit Can Seek Punitive Damages, Judge Rules – Update"

The Animation Guild, IATSE Local 839, and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have drawn up a tentative agreement on a new film and television contract. The deal … Continue reading "Animation Guild & AMPTP Reach Tentative Deal On Film & TV Contract"

As I posted recently (“Google’s Shameful Bullying Tactics on Display Again in CRB“), Google has once again turned its lawyers loose to run roughshod over songwriters in their latest theater … Continue reading "#StopCRBAbuse: Can Songwriters stop Big Tech from demanding your contracts and royalty earnings be handed over to them in Copyright Royalty Board?"

Last week, the European Commission sent reasoned opinions to 13 Member States (Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, Greece, France, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland and Sweden) for failure to notify … Continue reading "Commission sends reasoned opinions to 13 Member States for failure to transpose CDSM Directive into national law"

Books and magazine articles have long provided the IP Hollywood depends on, but until recently, authors played little role in the process. Now, lit agencies and publishers are changing the … Continue reading "How the Publishing World Is Muscling In on Hollywood Deals: For Authors, “The Future Is Multihyphenate”"

Books and magazine articles have long provided the IP Hollywood depends on, but until recently, authors played little role in the process. Now, lit agencies and publishers are changing the … Continue reading "How the Publishing World Is Muscling In on Hollywood Deals: For Authors, “The Future Is Multihyphenate”"

Pursuant to Title I of the Orrin G. Hatch–Bob Goodlatte Music Modernization Act, the Copyright Office has issued a supplemental interim rule updating certain reporting requirements for digital music providers. … Continue reading "U.S. Copyright Office Issues a Supplemental Interim Rule Related to the Music Modernization Act Reports of Usage and Payment"

Tyler Colon played college basketball. He won an MTV reality show. He’s tried podcasting, modeling, and acting. But in 2019, he got serious about pursuing music. Read More: https://www.npr.org/2022/05/22/1080632810/tiktok-music-industry-gayle-abcdefu-sia-tai-verdes-celine-dion?t=1654534934706

From Blockchain to Web 3.0 and DAOs, there are a lot of new buzzwords out there — and plenty of skepticism — but supporters say these new technologies can make … Continue reading "Cannes: Is the Film Industry Really Ready to Embrace NFTs?"

Last year, the Financial Times captured an amazing detail in its profile of Lucian Grainge, the CEO of Universal Music Group. The story closed with Grainge on the Zoom call … Continue reading "The Unheard Battle Over Social Media Licensing"

File this under News from the Goolag. In case you had any illusions that Google has fully lost whatever shred of human decency they may have had, we just got … Continue reading "Google’s Shameful Bullying Tactics on Display Again in Copyright Royalty Board"

The Ninth Circuit appeals court in the US last week ruled that Toni Basil is the sole owner of the recording copyright in her hit song ‘Mickey’ as part of … Continue reading "US court says Toni Basil is sole owner of Mickey masters"

A US court last week awarded Alan Parsons nearly $5 million in damages as part of a dispute with his former manager, John Regna of World Entertainment Associates Of America. … Continue reading "Alan Parsons awarded nearly $5 million in dispute with former manager"

Various organisations representing French artists, performers and labels have welcomed an agreement finalised last week regarding the sharing of streaming monies. Read More: https://completemusicupdate.com/article/french-performer-and-label-groups-reach-voluntary-agreement-regarding-digital-remuneration/

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) followed up on his attack on Disney last week with an op-ed on FoxNews.com in which he argued that corporations were attacking American values by weighing … Continue reading "Josh Hawley And Other Republicans Want To End Special “Handouts” To Disney And Other Corporations, But As Punishment Not Policy (Analysis)"

The streamer’s financial woes have inspired schadenfreude from its competitors and even some of its own showrunners. Here’s where the ill will comes from—and what insiders say the streamer must … Continue reading "Netflix Stumbles and Hollywood Gloats: “The Days of the Blank Check Are Over”"

Against a backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, the last two years have placed a renewed focus on many of the recorded music market’s glaring dysfunctions. Read More: https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/what-is-currently-an-opaque-black-box-of-song-royalties-needs-to-be-transformed-into-a-glass-box/

In its landmark 1994 decision Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, Inc., 510 U.S. 569 (1994), the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruled that Campbell’s creation of a rap parody version of a popular … Continue reading "Andy Warhol Foundation v. Goldsmith: The Supreme Court Revisits Transformative Fair Uses"

Concert promotion giant Live Nation should be broken up, according to New Jersey Democratic Congressman Bill Pascrell, who claims its safety record is disturbing. Pascrell cited the recent attack on … Continue reading "Live Nation Should Be Broken Up, Says New Jersey Congressman, Citing Safety Record"

The WGA is gearing up for a showdown with the major companies next year. In his annual report, WGA East executive director Lowell Peterson told his members that the WGA … Continue reading "WGA East Executive Director Lowell Peterson Sets Stage For Showdown With Studios Next Year"

A plethora of organisations from across the US music industry have welcomed a new proposed settlement regarding the mechanical royalty rate paid on discs and downloads Stateside, after an initial … Continue reading "New inflation matching settlement on US disc and download song royalty rate welcomed"

Major label and publishing conglomerates Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, and Warner Music Group, as well as other publishers represented by the NMPA, have tentatively agreed to increase mechanical … Continue reading "SGA, SCL & MCNA ‘Extremely Pleased’ With Mechanical Royalty Rate Increase Decision In the US — Here’s Their Statement"

Verifi Media recently announced the launch of the Verifi Rights Data Alliance (“VRDA”), with partnerships in place with Warner Music Group, Warner Chappell, FUGA, Unison Rights and Deezer. Together, these … Continue reading "‘If the music industry wants to continue its exponential growth, its data backbone needs to become significantly more efficient.’"

TikTok wants to keep its massive influx of new users. It has announced plans to share ad revenue with creators. Read More: https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2022/05/05/tiktok-share-ad-revenue-creators/?mc_cid=26099a340b&mc_eid=6746066f83

The ticketing giant recorded first quarter revenue of $1.8 billion, up from $290 million in the year-earlier quarter impacted by COVID-19. Read More: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/live-nation-revenue-soars-as-concert-ticket-sales-recover-1235141653/

A Spotify playlist study has found that the Big Three labels (UMG, Warner, Sony) benefit most from curated playlists. In many cases, they practically control them. Consultancy firm Music Tomorrow … Continue reading "A New Study Confirms the Obvious: Major Labels Control Spotify Playlists"

Kanye West has been sued by a Texas-based pastor who claims that a track on the rapper’s ‘Donda’ album samples one of his sermons without licence. That copyright infringement, the … Continue reading "Kanye West sued over sermon sample on Donda"

More than a decade after U.S. lawmakers scuttled the controversial SOPA legislation that would’ve required ISPs to block pirate sites, a US court has demonstrated that the ability to block … Continue reading "US Court Orders Every ISP in the United States to Block Illegal Streaming Sites"

Endeavor’s Ari Emanuel is in (to the tune of $300 million) and Warner Bros. Discovery chief David Zaslav returns in THR’s annual look at executive compensation. Read More: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/hollywood-ceo-pay-the-year-of-the-nine-figure-club-1235136814/

Endeavor’s Ari Emanuel is in (to the tune of $300 million) and Warner Bros. Discovery chief David Zaslav returns in THR’s annual look at executive compensation. Read More: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/hollywood-ceo-pay-the-year-of-the-nine-figure-club-1235136814/

As rivals toggle between schadenfreude and fear, top creators and insiders are increasingly becoming vocal about what’s gone wrong with the streaming giant’s culture. Read More: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/netflixs-big-wake-up-call-the-power-clash-behind-the-crash-1235136004/

A white paper says the government will move ahead with plans for a sale of Channel 4 and promises “a new golden age of programming” for TV and radio lovers … Continue reading "U.K. Eyes Regulation of Streaming Services, Protections for “Distinctly British” Content"

The songwriters who have accused Chris Brown and Drake of ripping off one of their tracks on the 2019 hit ‘No Guidance’ have dismissed their legal claims against the latter, … Continue reading "Drake dismissed from song-theft lawsuit over his Chris Brown collab"

The Court of Justice has officially upheld Article 17 of the controversial EU Copyright Directive, which makes certain “online content-sharing service providers” (as opposed to users) liable for the unauthorized … Continue reading "European Union High Court Upholds Article 17 of Controversial Copyright Directive — Music Industry Organizations React"

As The IPKat reported earlier today, nearly 3 years after the Republic of Poland lodged its action (C-401/19) against the European Parliament and the Council requesting that the Court of … Continue reading "Article 17 of the DSM Directive is valid: an early take on today’s Grand Chamber ruling"

The US Supreme Court has declined to hear a song-theft dispute in relation to ‘You Raise Me Up’, the song made famous by Josh Groban or Westlife depending on where … Continue reading "US Supreme Court declines to answer key question for dealing with song-theft disputes"

The widow of Sonny Bono has urged a Californian court to throw out a recent legal claim made by Cher, which centres on how the pesky termination right in US … Continue reading "Cher’s dispute with Sonny Bono estate over termination right continues"

It turns out that Jay-Z may as yet get millions of dollars in allegedly unpaid royalties from the perfume company he collaborated with back in 2013. Read More: https://completemusicupdate.com/article/appeal-court-judges-say-jay-z-is-owed-royalties-for-former-perfume-partner/  

Roger Daltrey has said he believes that the music industry has been “stolen” from artists during a recent interview. Speaking to The Independent, the frontman of The Who claimed that … Continue reading "Roger Daltrey says the music industry has been “stolen” from artists"

Royalties from live performances of music fell almost 30% in 2021, despite concerts resuming in the summer. Concert revenues were just £8m, down from £11.3m in 2020 and £54m in … Continue reading "Live music revenue fell again in 2021, despite gigs returning"

SAG-AFTRA, the Writers Guild and Actors’ Equity use the missives to try to keep projects they find problematic in line over financing and labor issues — a tactic that may … Continue reading "How Hollywood Unions Wield “Do Not Work” Orders Against Employers"

Actors’ livelihoods are at risk from artificial intelligence (AI) unless the law changes, a union warns. Equity, the performing arts workers union, has launched a new campaign, “Stop AI Stealing … Continue reading "Actors launch campaign against AI ‘show stealers’"

The producers of a film whose cinematographer was accidentally shot dead on set by Alec Baldwin have been fined and strongly criticised by authorities for failing to follow safety guidelines. … Continue reading "Alec Baldwin: Rust film producers were indifferent to gun safety – report"

A group of artists suing Universal Music in the US in a dispute over the termination right in American copyright law filed new papers with the court on Friday seeking … Continue reading "New filing in Universal Music’s termination rights litigation"

The issue of predatory recording contracts, which can tie a musician up for longer than seven years, will be considered separately from its counterpart in the acting world, it was … Continue reading "California’s Fair Act, Addressing Seven-Year Rule, Will Separate Issues of Musicians From Actors"

The frozen mechanicals crisis points up one of the key problems in administering the statutory mechanical license in the US: Songwriters are a fragmented group. Merely chanting to courts that … Continue reading "@RIAA Chief’s Proposal to Settle the Frozen Mechanicals Crisis by Expanding the Songwriters at the Table"

Whenever we are presented with exciting new technological ideas and advancements, whether it’s self-driving cars, VR or blockchain technology, we often overestimate the effect it may have on our lives … Continue reading "Yes, Blockchain might well revolutionise music royalties. No, it’s not going to happen anytime soon."

It’s a process awash with legalese – to the point of tedium. But there’s a very important debate going on in the US over certain types of mechanical royalty rates … Continue reading "Judges in the US have hinted that the mechanical royalty rate paid to publishers and songwriters for vinyl sales should rise. The major labels’ lawyers have come out swinging."

Australian producer and sound engineer Chris ‘Tek’ O’Ryan has sued Justin Bieber’s manager Scooter Braun and the company JRC Entertainment over allegations promises were broken regarding producer royalties on a … Continue reading "Bieber producer sues over points dispute"

SAG-AFTRA’s national board voted today to approve a tentative agreement on a new $1 billion-a-year commercials contract and to recommend its ratification to the guild’s members. The deal, which was … Continue reading "SAG-AFTRA Board Overwhelmingly Approves New $1 Billion-A-Year Commercials Contract, Urges Membership Ratification"

Ed Sheeran says his recent High Court copyright case over one of his songs was not about money but honesty and standing up for what was right. The singer-songwriter told … Continue reading "Ed Sheeran: Copyright case was about honesty, not money"

An LA court has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a former member of the Beach Boys which took issue with the way Universal Music accounts and reports artist royalties for … Continue reading "LA court dismisses foreign royalties lawsuit filed against Universal by former Beach Boy"

Discovery and AT&T’s WarnerMedia have officially closed their merger on Friday, creating a new media and entertainment giant titled Warner Bros. Discovery. The completion comes about 11 months after the … Continue reading "Warner Bros. Discovery Megadeal Closes, Creating Scripted and Unscripted Content Giant"

DGA president Lesli Linka Glatter has appointed a new safety committee “to ensure that safety concerns remain at the forefront of our guild.” Director Karen Gaviola is the chair of … Continue reading "DGA Forms New Committee To Tackle Set Safety"

An appeals court in New York has upheld a lower court ruling in the dispute between Bob Dylan and the estate of one of his former collaborators, which reckons it … Continue reading "Appeals court upholds decision in dispute over Bob Dylan’s mega-bucks song catalogue sale"

After the ruling, Sheeran spoke out about the “pain” he’d felt at having someone “publicly, and aggressively, challenge [his] integrity.” Read More: https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/ed-sheeran-shape-of-you-plagiarism-case-ruling_n_624d5fdee4b068157f7e44d7

A few days ago the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) rendered its judgment in C-433/20 Austro-Mechana, ruling that the notion of reproduction ‘on any medium’ extends to … Continue reading "CJEU rules that private copying also applies in the cloud and warns against thinking that everything is communication to the public"

Welcome to the first trimester of the 2022 round up of EU copyright law! We started this rubric back in 2021. In this series, we update readers every three months … Continue reading "EU copyright law round up – first trimester of 2022"

On March 30, 2022, the Copyright Royalty Judges published in the Federal Register a notice withdrawing from consideration under Section 801(b)(7)(A) of the Copyright Act a settlement among certain participants … Continue reading "JOINT RECORD COMPANY PARTICIPANTS’ EMERGENCY MOTION FOR CLARIFICATION AND REQUEST FOR EXTENSION"

As an independent artist, you want to make sure you’re earning revenue everywhere you can. You put a lot of effort into your projects. Don’t let that hard work go … Continue reading "How To Make Money On SoundCloud"

The move comes as the Canadian union says yearlong negotiations are at an impasse after the AMPTP resisted the latest contract offer. Read More: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/directors-guild-of-canada-b-c-calls-strike-authorization-vote-1235124868/#recipient_hashed=3a259dd7948fa5cf81748fd59fbfdb0cdc19448cf6f4bf505f19cde98578e9d3

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has ruled in the Austro-Mechana case that cloud service providers can be subject to the payment of “private copying” royalties. Read … Continue reading "EU Court of Justice rules cloud service providers can be subject to the remuneration for private copying"

Universal Music has, as expected, confirmed it is following the lead of its major label rivals, who in turn followed the lead of certain independent labels, in committing to pay … Continue reading "Universal Music confirms it will start paying royalties to unrecouped heritage artists"

A court in the US has ordered VPN provider LiquidVPN to pay a group of independent movie producers over $14 million in damages for facilitating copyright infringement. Read More: https://completemusicupdate.com/article/vpn-ordered-to-pay-14-million-in-damages-to-movie-producers-in-copyright-dispute/

The various comedians who have sued Pandora over unlicensed jokes have consolidated their lawsuits into one action, while arguing that the fact the streaming firm has removed their comedy routines … Continue reading "Comedy copyright claims against Pandora consolidated into one lawsuit"

The US Copyright Royalty Board has published a statement on its review of what royalty rate should be paid to songwriters and music publishers when discs and downloads are sold … Continue reading "US Copyright Royalty Board rejects proposal to keep mechanical royalty on discs and downloads unchanged"

Driven by machine learning and a technical algorithm, TikTok thrives on data and metrics. If you want to improve your content’s performance, understanding your profile’s detailed analytics is the first … Continue reading "How To Interpret Your TikTok Analytics"

Yesterday, Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter (DN) reported that Firefly Entertainment was allegedly associated with an array of “fake” artist profiles on Spotify – and that the indie label had cashed … Continue reading "Swedish Musicians’ Union Calls On Spotify to Investigate ‘Fake Artists’ Amid Playlist Controversy"

The Supreme Court announced Monday it will take up a case involving a copyright dispute between the famous late pop artist Andy Warhol and prolific rock photographer Lynn Goldsmith, who … Continue reading "Supreme Court Takes Up Copyright Case Involving Andy Warhol’s Prints Of Singer Prince"

The Strategic Organizing Center, a coalition of unions that includes the Teamsters and CWA, and WGA West sent a letter to the regulatory agency over the $8.45 billion buy. They … Continue reading "Writers Guild West, Labor Coalition Push FTC to Challenge Amazon’s MGM Buy (Exclusive)"

The collecting society that represents performers in Belgium has welcomed proposals by the country’s Council Of Ministers to introduce a new digital remuneration right for artists as part of the … Continue reading "Belgian performer society welcomes proposed new digital remuneration right"

The music industry has welcomed proposed copyright reforms in the US that would basically increase the obligations of safe harbour dwelling digital platforms, mainly by empowering the country’s Copyright Office … Continue reading "US music industry welcomes proposed SMART Copyright Act"

Lizzo has settled her legal battle with former collaborators Justin Raisen, Jeremiah Raisen and Justin ‘Yves’ Rothman over their claim that they contributed to the creation of her hit ‘Truth … Continue reading "Lizzo settles Truth Hurts copyright battle with former collaborators"

Several hundred Animation Guild members and their supporters rallied today in Burbank, loudly demanding a fair contract from the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers. Carrying signs that say … Continue reading "Animation Guild Members Rally For Fair Contract In Burbank"

The “SMART Copyright Act” has officially been introduced into the U.S. Senate, and the bipartisan legislation “would hold tech accountable by developing effective, widely-available measures to combat copyright theft,” according … Continue reading "Senators Introduce the Bipartisan ‘SMART Copyright Act,’ Claiming That the Bill ‘Would Hold Tech Accountable’"

Each year, royalties worth an estimated $655 million (£500m) globally are not paid to the correct rightsholders due to bad data. To address the issue of hundreds of millions of … Continue reading "Max Martin, ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus, and songwriter and producer Niclas Molinder say they’ve invented the solution to the music industry’s ‘black box’. And it’s free."

One might think that, just weeks after his company scraped through the biggest crisis of its existence — its stubborn defense of giving a gigantic international platform, not to mention … Continue reading "The Ineffable Tone-Deafness of Spotify’s Daniel Ek"

A pair of Tennessee songwriters say the bass riff to the iconic 1966 hit was lifted from their 1965 song. Read More: https://www.billboard.com/pro/spencer-davis-group-beats-gimme-some-lovin-copyright-lawsuit/#recipient_hashed=3a259dd7948fa5cf81748fd59fbfdb0cdc19448cf6f4bf505f19cde98578e9d3

Future. Choreographer JaQuel Knight (Beyoncé, Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion) and attorney David L. Hecht are stepping out how and why dances deserve copyright, showing that the TikTok era is … Continue reading "Dancers move to copyright choreography online"

Katy Perry prevailed again over a lawsuit alleging copyright infringement in her song “Dark Horse,” after the Ninth Circuit said Thursday that a trial judge was right to set aside … Continue reading "Katy Perry Gets Appeal Win in ‘Dark Horse’ Copyright Case"

Content creators these days have a lot of choices in where to build their business, but it’s not always about the money for some of them. While YouTube has historically … Continue reading "Why YouTube – With Its Deep Pockets – Isn’t the Perfect Fit for All Creators"

Ninety-five percent of eligible voting members supported the deal, while voter turnout was 75 percent, “the highest in the Local’s recent history” for the contract, the union says. Read More: … Continue reading "Film and TV Location Managers Vote to Ratify New Contract"

The National Association of Theatre Owners today announced the creation of The Cinema Foundation, a new, donor-supported non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the cinema exhibition industry by developing future diverse … Continue reading "NATO Launches New Non-Profit The Cinema Foundation Dedicated To Advancing Exhibition Industry"

Because the artists who would form part of the class had entered into licensing agreements with varying terms, individual issues would prevail over common questions. Read More: http://copyrightblog.kluweriplaw.com/2022/03/09/copyright-case-kihn-v-bill-graham-archives-llc-usa/

TikTok is officially a music distributor now. The ByteDance-owned viral video app has just launched its own promotion and music distribution platform, called SoundOn. SoundOn is already Live in the … Continue reading "TikTok just launched its own music distribution platform, SoundOn"

Ed Sheeran has serenaded London’s High Court in an attempt to prove he did not copy portions of his 2017 hit Shape of You from another artist. The star is … Continue reading "Ed Sheeran sings Nina Simone during Shape of You copyright case"

Bandcamp has been a safe haven for independent artists for years and throughout the pandemic. When asked by fans where fans can go to engage in fair commerce with artists … Continue reading "Another One Bites the Dust: Bandcamp acquired by Tencent’s Epic Games and still no fairness for session musicians"

Post Malone is having another go at dismissing a legal claim made by a former collaborator who reckons he co-wrote the 2019 hit ‘Circles’. This time the rapper is arguing … Continue reading "Post Malone has another go at dismissing Circles song theft claim"

Dua Lipa is facing a second song theft lawsuit over her 2020 hit ‘Levitating’ which, it’s alleged, rips off not one but two songs. Well, three if you also count … Continue reading "Dua Lipa sued a second time over Levitating"

Ed Sheeran is a musical “genius” but also a musical “magpie” who borrows from other people’s work when he’s writing his pop songs. Sometimes he borrows from the work of … Continue reading "Musical “magpie” Ed Sheeran in court over Shape Of You song theft claims"

Jordi Puy had a plan. He knew Europe was ripe for a new type of music rights society, one that would be a digital native, and would work with transparency … Continue reading "Jordi Puy (Unison): ‘ In two years, we have managed to get into the full international digital landscape of authors’ rights’"

BMI has hired Goldman Sachs to consult on potential growth opportunities for its business as one of the US’s largest performance rights organizations (PRO). In a letter obtained by Variety, … Continue reading "BMI Hires Goldman Sachs to Explore New Ways to Make Boatloads of Money on Songs"

A curtain closing look at the era and moguls that defined the iconic brand as the e-commerce giant aims to seal a $8.5 billion deal to gobble up the studio … Continue reading "When MGM Ruled Hollywood: The Rise (and Fall) of Amazon’s Next Prize"

Music Workers Alliance (MWA), a labor empowerment organization for independent musicians, DJs, and sound engineers, has launched a campaign for streaming justice. They are lobbying congress to change a law … Continue reading "Musicians Organize Around DMCA Law, Time’s Up for Spotify"

At what point, if any, can Artificial Intelligence be considered “human?” Who is responsible for the art that’s created by technology? Who owns art predominately created by computers? The U.S. … Continue reading "Copyright Office Ruling Exposes Artificial Intelligence and NFT Issues"

When and how a creator can remove music from a streaming service varies based on a number of factors — though performers will generally have an easier time than songwriters. … Continue reading "Guest Column: How Easy Is It to Take Down Music From Streaming Platforms?"

If you’ve been pitched to lend your name to an NFT platform or promotion, or if you are an NFT promoter who wants to attract artists to your program, there … Continue reading "20 Questions: An artist’s checklist for an NFT pitch"

David Israelite, President and CEO of the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA), has claimed that digital streaming services are proposing the “lowest rates in history” in the current Copyright Royalty … Continue reading "David Israelite (NMPA): ‘DSPs are proposing the lowest rates in history’"

Future. As the entertainment industry pushes all the chips in on streaming, it’s important to note that none of these companies are actually making any real money… yet. But in … Continue reading "The film and TV streaming war empties the coffers"

The court found additional evidence is necessary to determine whether M. Night Shyamalan’s AppleTV+ series infringed on Francesca Gregorini’s 2013 movie ‘The Truth About Emanuel.’ It’s the latest in a … Continue reading "Appeals Court Revives Copyright Lawsuit Over ‘Servant’"

The streaming revolution is changing the way film composers get paid and exposing the flaws of a system where big names farm their scores out to uncredited “ghost composers.” Now, … Continue reading "“The Minions Do the Actual Writing”: The Ugly Truth of How Movie Scores Are Made"

Spotify is one of the top music streaming services, offering free and paid access to more than 82 million songs online at last count. A paid plan adds several useful … Continue reading "How to Cancel Your Spotify Account"

The Radio Music License Committee says it has reached an interim licensing agreement with ASCAP while it works on a long-term deal with the performance rights organization. The radio industry’s … Continue reading "Radio Industry Strikes Interim Licensing Deal With ASCAP."

Crosby’s advice to aspiring musicians: “Don’t become a musician.” In recent weeks, there has been an ongoing controversy surrounding Spotify and Joe Rogan. First it was about Rogan’s insistence on … Continue reading "David Crosby On The “Scummy People” At Spotify And His Lack Of Hope For The Music Industry"

The UK TV skills crisis has been laid bare by research from ScreenSkills showing the vast majority of production companies struggling immensely to find key roles such as Production Manager … Continue reading "UK TV Skills Crisis Laid Bare By ScreenSkills Report; Production Managers And Co-Ordinators Almost Impossible To Find"

Universal Music Group has officially inked a partnership agreement with non-fungible token marketplace Curio, which is set to release NFTs from UMG artists moving forward. Read More: https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2022/02/17/curio-umg-partnership/?utm_source=Daily+Snapshot&utm_campaign=78facf4291-Daily_Snapshot_February_18_2022&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_2fb43ebd24-78facf4291-21259337&mc_cid=78facf4291&mc_eid=3d7da4c48d

Can a work entirely created by a machine be protected by copyright? Read More: https://ipkitten.blogspot.com/2022/02/us-copyright-office-refuses-to-register.html

Hollywood’s Covid safety protocols have been extended to April 30 and updated to redefine “fully vaccinated” to include booster shots, effective March 15. The updated rules also upgrade mask requirements … Continue reading "Hollywood’s Return-To-Work Covid Protocols Extended Again; “Fully Vaccinated” Redefined To Include Booster Shots"

YouTube‘s ads business is a money-making machine. According to stats published by the video platform’s (and Google‘s) parent company Alphabet last week, YouTube made $8.63 billion from advertising in Q4 … Continue reading "YouTube is making close to $100m from advertising revenues every day"

YouTube is getting into NFTs, according to a new blog post on the platform’s future for creator tools. YouTube’s Chief Product Officer Neal Mohan detailed some of what to expect. … Continue reading "YouTube Is Officially Getting Into NFTs — New Creator Tools Coming Soon"

If screwups were Easter eggs, Daniel Ek would be the Easter bunny. Right in the middle of Spotify’s crashing stock price, billion-dollar stock buy backs, shenanigans at the Copyright Royalty … Continue reading "Daniel Ek’s Edifice Complex: Millions for tribute, but not one red cent for royalties as Spotify buys naming rights to biggest football stadium in Europe — Artist Rights Watch"

Sources expect an extension to the agreement with potential revisions as the clock ticks down to the Feb. 13 expiration date. Read More: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/covid-safety-agreement-studios-guilds-expire-sunday-1235091928/

The widow of Ol Dirty Bastard – Icelene Jones – is suing Wu-Tang Productions, claiming that it has “wilfully refused” to pay the ODB estate at least $1 million in … Continue reading "ODB estate sues Wu-Tang Productions over unpaid royalties"

Yes, TikTok will pay you money, thanks to a recently-created $200 million fund for creators. You probably won’t get rich, but here’s exactly how much you’ll get paid from TikTok’s … Continue reading "How Much Does TikTok Pay You? Unfortunately Not Very Much (Updated for 2022)"

The deal with the division of Vivendi’s Universal Music Group includes songs like “Roxanne,” “Every Breath You Take” and “Message in a Bottle.” Read More: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/sting-song-catalog-universal-music-publishing-1235090695/  

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) is now seeking suggestions for songwriter candidates to be considered for seats on its Board of Directors, Unclaimed Royalties Oversight Committee and Dispute Resolution … Continue reading "The MLC Seeking Suggestions for Songwriter Candidates for Seats on Board of Directors and Pair of Advisory Committees"

To our Warner Chappell songwriting family, As your partners and your champions, we wanted to let you know about a crucial fight that will determine what you make from streaming … Continue reading "Letter to Songwriters On U.S. Streaming Rates"

The creative industries around the world lost 10 million jobs in 2020, a UNESCO report estimates, with artists’ incomes collapsing even as digital consumption of culture rises. Read More: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/art-and-architecture/article-digital-culture-fails-to-pay-artists-says-new-unesco-report/?symbol=print-msg

The US Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) is currently conducting proceedings to determine the mechanical royalty rate that music streaming services will pay songwriters for the five years between 2023 and … Continue reading "Warner Chappell: Spotify, Google and Amazon are paying songwriters an ‘appallingly low’ rate in the US"

The Radio Music Licensing Committee (RMLC) and Irving Azoff’s performing rights society Global Music Rights (GMR) have reached a final agreement to settle their long-running legal dispute. Read More: https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/irving-azoffs-global-music-rights-and-commercial-radio-body-reach-final-settlement-agreement123/

Spotify’s recent Joe Rogan controversy has also deepened a rift between the platform and artists over pay. Read More: https://thehustle.co/the-economics-of-spotify/

As the media industry continues to rebound from the pandemic, it’s more important than ever we have correct information to accurately assess your union dues. Remember, dues are based on … Continue reading "2021 Income Statements Available"

There has been widespread press coverage of Meghan Markle’s (the Duchess of Sussex) recent success in a claim which she brought against the publishers of the Daily Mail, Mail on … Continue reading "The Duchess and the tabloid: copyright, fair dealing and freedom of expression in personal letters"

As Ottawa revives legislation to regulate foreign media players in the local market, IATSE says global studios and video giants already employ most Canadian creative workers, while local actors and … Continue reading "Film/TV Labor Unions Rift in Canada Widens Over Streaming Wars"

Broadcasters say they have not had a willing dance partner with which to negotiate a deal to end the long-running battle over a performance royalty for radio. And while a … Continue reading "Broadcasters Tell Congress: We Want To Negotiate ‘Holistic’ Royalties Deal."

The dispute between Alf Clausen and Fox over his firing as the show’s lead musical composer is officially over as two courts issue dismissals following a settlement. Read More: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/simpsons-composer-settles-dispute-with-fox-1235085719/

As welcome as the recent protests are, they do not address the fundamental injustice of the streaming economy. It is good to see Spotify suffer, at least in the short … Continue reading "Reasons to Abandon Spotify That Have Nothing to Do with Joe Rogan"

Amazon-owned livestreaming platform Twitch has struck a new agreement with independent label agency Merlin. Merlin says that the partnership “recognizes the power of independent artists and their impact in the … Continue reading "Twitch strikes strategic partnership with indie label agency Merlin"

5-years after the transposition deadline, the European Commission has concluded that the application of the Collective Rights Management Directive has had a positive effect on rightsholders and the licensing market. … Continue reading "The Collective Rights Management Directive: a positive assessment of the action of CMOs"

Last summer, Sony Music Group shocked the global music industry by doing something historic: announcing it was disregarding unrecouped balances for thousands of heritage artists and songwriters who had signed … Continue reading "Now Warner scraps unrecouped balances for heritage artists. Will Universal be next?"

UPDATED, with information on delayed vote: The Directors Guild of America is urging the Senate Commerce Committee to reject Joe Biden’s nominee to the FCC, citing Gigi Sohn’s past stances … Continue reading "DGA Urges Senators To Reject Joe Biden’s FCC Nominee Gigi Sohn; Vote Will Be Delayed Because Of Absence Of Sen. Ben Ray Luján"

On December 17, 2021, in a big win for electronic dance music (EDM) artists, the Dutch Supreme Court held that DJs own phonographic rights (neighbouring rights) in their home-produced recordings … Continue reading "DJs are Phonogram Producers, says Dutch Supreme Court"

While Congress may have expressed enthusiasm for joint rate setting proposals being developed through arms-length, independent negotiations among the parties to a CRB rate-setting proceeding (which clearly may not have … Continue reading "Frozen Mechanicals Crisis: Twelve Songwriter Groups Reject Majors Position that Copyright Royalty Board MUST Ignore Songwriter Objections"

Dear [DGA] Members: We have made it easy and convenient to securely report your earnings and pay your dues online. To learn more, please visit our step by step tutorial … Continue reading "How to Report Earnings and Pay Dues Online"

Singer Joni Mitchell has joined Neil Young in asking for her music to be removed from Spotify over Covid misinformation concerns. “Irresponsible people are spreading lies that are costing people … Continue reading "Joni Mitchell wants songs off Spotify in Covid row"

The undersigned organisations representing the creative and business communities of the film and audiovisual sector in Europe regret that the European Parliament plenary vote on the Digital Services Act failed … Continue reading "Joint statement: DSA – Missed opportunity to make the Internet safer"

The Future. TikTok is facing the heat for its creator payment model. Although its $1 billion Creator Fund sounds generous, it’s a static fund, meaning that platform growth actually undermines … Continue reading "TikTok under fire for how it pays creators"

Federal antitrust enforcers are signaling they will increasingly challenge mergers, jeopardizing proposed deals between major media companies, studios and talent firms. Read More: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/worrying-signs-for-hollywood-mega-deals-1235081282/#recipient_hashed=3a259dd7948fa5cf81748fd59fbfdb0cdc19448cf6f4bf505f19cde98578e9d3

Cardi B has been awarded over £2 million in damages after winning a defamation lawsuit against a YouTuber. The rapper and songwriter, known for songs including I Like It, Money … Continue reading "Cardi B awarded over £2m in damages in defamation case win"

John Lennon’s eldest son Julian is selling several pieces of music history from his personal collection. However, he will keep the physical items as each piece of memorabilia will be … Continue reading "The Beatles and John Lennon memorabilia to be sold as NFTs"

After months of heated debates and clashes, the French film industry has set new windowing rules for movies that are released in local theaters. The rules will apply to exhibitors, … Continue reading "France’s Revamped Windowing Gives Netflix Earlier Access to Fresh Movies"

In US, the mechanical royalty rate that music streaming services including Spotify and Apple Music pay songwriters, is set by the Copyright Royalty Board. The CRB is currently in the … Continue reading "Three judges decide what Spotify, Apple, and YouTube Music pay songwriters in the US. One of those roles is now up for grabs."

The Spanish competition regulator, the CNMC, has launched new proceedings against the country’s big song rights collecting society SGAE following another complaint submitted by rival rights management organisation Unison. Read … Continue reading "Spanish competition regulator launches new investigation into collecting society SGAE"

The European Parliament last week approved a version of the new EU Digital Services Act, which will bring in a bunch of new regulations in relation to digital platforms across … Continue reading "European Parliament approves draft of Digital Services Act which is a mixed bag for the music industry"

A coalition of entertainment industry unions and associations is urging Congress to include the Performing Artist Tax Parity Act in any omnibus legislation that may come before the House and … Continue reading "Entertainment Industry Coalition Urges Congress To Approve Tax Break For Performing Artists & Creative Professionals"

The Jimi Hendrix estate and Sony Music have filed legal papers with the courts in New York seeking a declaratory judgement that agreements reached with other members of the Jimi … Continue reading "Jimi Hendrix estate goes to court following royalty claim from former Experience collaborators"

Advocates for the creative economy — from the head of a performing arts center to a venue owner, an actor and an Actors’ Equity exec — lobbied Congress today to … Continue reading "Performing Arts Reps Warn House Hearing Not To Let “Creative Infrastructure Of Our Economy Vanish” As Covid Continues But Aid Doesn’t"

Following a routine investigation, the U.S. Department of Labor has found no basis to overturn last year’s election of Fran Drescher as president of SAG-AFTRA. In rejecting protesters’ claims, the … Continue reading "Department Of Labor Finds No Basis To Overturn SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher’s Election"

Britney Spears may be free of the restrictive conservatorship that ruled her life for 13 years, but the Toxic singer’s ongoing battle with her father is about to go to … Continue reading "Britney Spears’ Fight Against Her Father Allegedly Feathering His Nest & Spying On Her Going To Mini-Trial"

Walt Disney’s chief executive Bob Chapek’s compensation totaled $34.46 million in fiscal 2021, up from $14.16 million the year before. Disney’s fiscal year ends in September. Chapek succeeded Bob Iger … Continue reading "Disney CEO Bob Chapek Earned $32M In FY2021; Former Chief Bob Iger’s Package At $46M"

Talent agency CAA’s acquisition of rival ICM Partners has reportedly been delayed due to an investigation by the US Department Of Justice’s competition law division. Read More: https://completemusicupdate.com/article/caas-icm-takeover-on-hold-due-to-antitrust-investigation/

The back and forth continues in the ‘Shake It Off’ song-theft legal battle, with the songwriters who accuse Taylor Swift of ripping off their work insisting their litigation should now … Continue reading "Yet another legal filing in the long-running Shake It Off song-theft legal battle"

The man who appeared, as a baby, on the famous cover of Nirvana’s ‘Nevermind’ album has re-filed his litigation in relation to the artwork. And with the band arguing that … Continue reading "Nevermind baby re-files child pornography lawsuit against Nirvana"

Chris Brown and Drake have hit back at a song-theft claim which, they say, is “baseless”. Not only is there no credible explanation for how the two stars would have … Continue reading "Chris Brown and Drake hit back over No Guidance song-theft claim"

As Travis Scott’s legal team continue to plough through the plethora of litigation in relation to last year’s Astroworld festival, another entirely unrelated lawsuit has landed in their in tray. … Continue reading "Travis Scott sued over artwork used on unofficial compilation"

Following Nicole Scherzinger’s announcement last week that the Pussycat Dolls reunion tour was cancelled, the singer has now filed new court documents in the ongoing legal battle over her involvement … Continue reading "Nicole Scherzinger brands Pussycat Dolls lawsuit “meritless”"

The screenwriters behind the original 1987 movie and Disney’s 20th Century Studios have agreed to drop dueling copyright lawsuits over the rights to the script in a confidential settlement. Read … Continue reading "Disney, ‘Predator’ Screenwriters Settle Copyright Dispute"

The police investigation into what really went down on the set of Rust in October 2021 when Alec Baldwin shot and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins is still ongoing, but today … Continue reading "‘Rust’ Armorer Sues Ammo Supplier Over Live Rounds That Killed Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins"

Elvis Costello has said that he will no longer perform his song ‘Oliver’s Army’ live, due to controversy over use of the N-word in the song’s lyrics. He has also … Continue reading "Elvis Costello to stop performing Oliver’s Army due to lyric controversy"

Judges in the US Ninth Circuit appeals court maintained their skeptical position yesterday regarding extending copyright protection to short segments of music. Or at least that’s how it seemed as … Continue reading "Dark Horse litigation back in court, but judges cautious of over-extending copyright"

It’s no secret that governments are actively trying to manage internet content. Committees of the Congress, the EU, as well as democratic and authoritarian governments everywhere have been seeking new … Continue reading "Is it time to go back to the future on internet content regulation?"

For internet creators, the year 2021 brought a wide range of legal issues and opportunities, many of which will have a lasting impact into 2022 and beyond. Read More: https://www.tubefilter.com/2022/01/11/content-creators-legal-cases-copyright-infringement/

The RADIO MUSIC LICENSE COMMITTEE (RMLC) has reached a conditional settlement agreement with IRVING AZOFF’s GLOBAL MUSIC RIGHTS (GMR), ending long-running lawsuits between the parties. GMR will send each broadcaster … Continue reading "Radio Music License Committee Reaches ‘Conditional’ Settlement With Global Music Rights"

EXCLUSIVE: A stinging lawsuit filed Monday by the composer of La La Land may leave WME wishing they’d been slipped the wrong envelope. However, unlike the Academy Awards’ Best Picture … Continue reading "WME Hit With Fraud Suit By ‘La La Land’ Composer Over Concert Packaging Deal; Agency Says Claims “Without Merit”"

Bob Dylan would like it to be known that judge Barry Ostrager was dead right when he dismissed a lawsuit filed by the estate of one of his former collaborators. … Continue reading "Bob Dylan urges court to uphold ruling in dispute with former collaborator’s estate"

About four months after Tencent Music (NYSE: TME) officially canceled its exclusive-music deals to comply with an order from the Chinese government, a copyright-oversight agency has barred all domestic streaming … Continue reading "China Prohibits All Music Platforms From Inking Exclusive Copyright Deals Following Tencent Music Crackdown"

A LANDMARK YEAR FOR STREAMING MUSIC — The Copyright Royalty Board is set to return to the spotlight as it decides the rates that digital music services like Apple Music … Continue reading "The streaming royalty wars return"

Grammy and Oscar-winning singer/songwriter John Legend is the latest to cash in and has sold his music catalog to record label BMG and investment firm KKR, according to an insider … Continue reading "John Legend Sells Music Catalog to BMG and Investment Firm KKR"

People at the Copyright Office seem to get mad at me every time I suggest that the Copyright Office is captured by Hollywood, and pointing out how top officials there … Continue reading "Top Disney Lawyer To Become Top Copyright Office Lawyer, Because Who Cares About The Public Interest?"

Fans of chronology will almost certainly have noticed by now that it is a new year. This is traditionally a time for ablution, scouring the past and treating the calendar … Continue reading "Catch ’22: A Complete* List Of Absolutely Everything The Music Business Needs To Fix Or Get Rid Of In 2022 (*Almost)"

Back in September, the estate of Nipsey Hussle filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against a number of merchandisers for allegedly selling unauthorized products bearing the late rapper’s name and likeness. … Continue reading "Nipsey Hussle Estate Wins Restraining Order Against Counterfeit Merchandisers"

DGA Members, Start the new year off right by making sure the Guild has your updated contact information in order to keep you fully informed about the latest Guild news … Continue reading "Are You Up To Date Online?"

2022 figures to be another year of massive change in Hollywood. Three major deals — Amazon’s purchase of MGM, CAA’s merger with ICM, Discovery’s takeover of WarnerMedia — all are … Continue reading "Will Streaming Peak and 10 More Questions for Hollywood in 2022"

David Bowie’s estate has sold the publishing rights to his “entire body of work” to Warner Chappell Music, including hundreds of songs such as Space Oddity, Changes and Let’s Dance. … Continue reading "David Bowie: Singer’s estate sells rights to his entire body of work to WCM"

The Israeli startup DeepDub claims that it can dub films, television shows, and video games while retaining the pitch and tone of the original actors in any given process. This … Continue reading "Now the voice dubbing industry is being disrupted by AI"

The lawsuit over Nevermind’s album art that Spencer Elden lobbied against Nirvana was dismissed by a judge on Monday (Jan. 3) after Elden, the 30-year-old man photographed for the album … Continue reading "Nirvana ‘Nevermind’ Baby Album Cover Lawsuit Dismissed by Judge"

A 17-track album of Lou Reed demos dropped in Europe right before Christmas — before disappearing days later. The album was titled “I’m So Free: The 1971 RCA Demos” and … Continue reading "Lou Reed Album Stealthily Dropped Before Christmas — Then Quickly Withdrawn"

A federal judge concludes that Wolfgang’s Vault lacked requisite license to stream hundreds of iconic songs. The Wall Street Journal once called Wolfgang’s Vault, a collection of thousands of live concert … Continue reading "Music Publishers Win Major Copyright Fight Over Streaming of Legendary Rock Concerts"

Numbers, those longtime pillars of the entertainment business, determiners of pay scale and quantifiers of the hot and the not, are vanishing from public view. Read More: https://deadline.com/2022/01/streaming-tv-ratings-movie-box-office-measurement-outlook-1234903058/

Hollywood’s guilds and unions saved the film and TV business in 2021. Working cooperatively with the industry’s companies, they adopted Covid-19 protocols that got production booming and their members safely … Continue reading "How Unions Saved Hollywood During The Pandemic And What’s In Store For 2022"

I don’t know about you, but my 2021 actually made 2020 look pretty, prettay, prettaay good by comparison. This was the year we actually had to try to pretend everything … Continue reading "The 5 Worst Copyright Decisions of 2021"