All about copyright, understanding music licensing, and government regulations.
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
YouTube has announced a new tool designed to help copyright holders protect their work. It has rolled out a new Copyright Match tool designed to help identify re-uploads of their protected content. Continue Reading
ASCAP shared the results from two court proceedings against broadcast radio stations from Royce International Broadcasting Corporation in California. The stations, KFRH-FM, KREV-FM, and KRCK-FM, will pay the performing rights organization more than $1.5 million in license fees, costs, attorneys’ fees, and statutory damages. Continue Reading
The European Parliament has voted against a sweeping and contentious copyright reform that would have meant major changes to the operation of online platforms such as YouTube. The Copyright Directive was voted down by 318 to 278, with 31 members abstaining. Continue Reading
The Senate Judiciary Committee has voted to approve the Music Modernization Act. Unanimous backing from the group means that the overhaul to music licensing and royalties will move ahead for consideration by the full Senate. Continue Reading