CBS Radio is back in court over the a case centered on pre-1972 recordings that had been settled in 2016. The broadcaster argued that its use of remastered versions of recordings made before 1972, rather than the original vinyl formats, exempted it from copyright liability and a U.S. district court agreed. Continue Reading
A group of popular performers has filed an amicus brief against Pandora centered on pre-1972 recordings. Jeffrey Knowles and Julia D. Greer of Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass LLP filed the brief in the California lawsuit on January 12. Continue Reading
Sirius XM secured a court win in Florida over royalties for music recorded prior to 1972. The satellite radio company was sued by Flo & Eddie, representing two members of The Turtles, in Florida, New York, and California over whether it has to pay royalties when it plays songs that were recorded before the adoption of federal copyright law. Continue Reading
Congress is preparing to address the topic of royalties for pre-1972 recordings, a move that sparked positive response from several music industry players. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) introduced the CLASSICS Act to establish royalty payments for the creators of music recorded prior to the advent of federal copyright laws in 1972. Representatives from SoundExchange, the RIAA, and Pandora have all reacted favorably toward this proposal. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Sirius XM in the royalty spotlight. Judge nullifies UMG’s Prince deal. Continue Reading
The Georgia Supreme Court has ruled in favor of iHeartRadio in a pre-1972 copyright lawsuit. The online audio platform was in court over the question of whether its service should be treated as a broadcast, and thus exempt from a state statute that makes it illegal to transfer sound recordings without the owner’s consent. Continue Reading
The latest development in the unfolding legal story between Sirius XM and Flo & Eddie is about the background paperwork. Music Reports has been chosen as the royalty administrator for a ten-year license for the satellite radio company’s use of Flo & Eddie’s recording catalog and other recordings from prior to 1972. Continue Reading
Flo & Eddie’s see-saw of a legal case against Sirius XM has swung back in favor of the satellite radio company. New York appeals court Judge Leslie Stein ruled that the state’s common law does not protect public performance of pre-1972 sound recordings. Continue Reading
Sirius XM has settled its California royalty case with two members of The Turtles. The parties have been locked in legal proceedings for years about the treatment of recordings made prior to 1972, when federal copyright law was enacted. Continue Reading
One of the recent developments in pre-1972 copyright protection was a win by video hosting service Vimeo in June, where the court ruled that the company could apply safe harbor provisions to those songs. That appeal ruling is now facing a fresh attack. A2IM, the RIAA, and Concord have filed an amicus brief in support of original plaintiff Capitol Records and requesting that the full New York federal appellate court rehear the case. Continue Reading
A district court has ruled that remastered songs are not necessarily subject to the same copyright laws as the originals. This development could have a big impact on the ongoing wave of litigation centered on music recorded prior to the adoption of federal copyright laws in 1972. Continue Reading
A large swath of streaming platforms have been hit with another lawsuit over pre-1972 royalties. The plaintiff is Ricky Spicer, a member of the group Ponderosa Twins Plus One, and he is seeking class action status for his case against Spotify, Apple, Google, SoundCloud, iHeartMedia, Pandora, and Sony Computer Entertainment. Continue Reading