All about copyright, understanding music licensing, and government regulations.
The Music Modernization Act, a sweeping overhaul of mechanical copyright laws, could face its final hurdle in the Senate today. Billboard has cited sources who claim the legislation could be hotlined for the Senate this afternoon. Hotlining is a process for proposed laws that are expected to be passed unanimously by a verbal vote. Continue Reading
European Parliament has voted to adopt a sweeping copyright reforms, including big changes to enforcing copyright infringements and unlicensed music on digital platforms. Despite efforts to overhaul EU copyright law falling short earlier this year, the governing body voted heavily in favor of the changes this time, 438 to 226. Continue Reading
As hinted in recent weeks, the European Commission has approved Apple’s acquisition of audio identification tool Shazam. The purchase was first announced back in December 2017, but several European leaders pushed for a full investigation to ensure that the deal would not create issues of competition. Continue Reading
Popular podcast S-Town drew critique and legal attention for how it handled public revelations about a private citizen’s life. David Oxenford addresses the legal questions surrounding podcast subjects, especially as more audio programming is optioned for television and film. Continue Reading
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
Facebook marches on with its retinue of licensing partners, this time forging an international alliance. The social media company has inked an agreement with APRA AMCOS, the combined performance and mechanical rights society serving Australia and New Zealand. Continue Reading
7digital has entered a licensing deal with Triller, a video app powered by artificial intelligence. “We are delighted to partner with Triller and share news of our deal today,” 7digital CEO Simon Cole said. Continue Reading
Stream-ripping remains a top concern in music piracy, and several labels joined forces for a legal fight against the practice. Stream-ripping involves making an illegal copy off of legally accessed digital media. YouTube videos are a common source of this type of pirated material. Continue Reading
After some sharp exchanges, the music industry may be reuniting in its support of the Music Modernization Act, at least when it comes to mechanical licensing. Last month, several companies that currently operate in the mechanical licensing space traded barbs with songwriter groups over an effort to change that portion of the proposed legislation. Yesterday, the parties announced a new compromise. Continue Reading
SoundExchange distributed $208.7 million in sound recording performance royalties during the second quarter, bringing its 2018 distributions to date to more than $398.6 million. The performance royalty distributor had several other noteworthy activities in the period that it shared in its most recent report. Continue Reading
The Music Modernization Act, a move to overhaul several federal laws for music licensing, has been making slow and steady progress through Congressional committees. Now, some proposed changes have fractured the near-universal support the Act initially commanded from songwriters, streaming companies, and other industry groups. Continue Reading
TuneCore announced that it is adding a new service called Facebook Monetization. This feature is free for all TuneCore Artists and allows them to ensure correct payments when the performer’s work is used on either Facebook or Instagram. Continue Reading