U.S. music industry calls for support of EU law to address “value gap”

The U.S. music industry is petitioning its European counterparts to make copyright reforms that would address royalty payments made by online music distribution services. Several music industry organizations signed an open letter about the value gap in services that do a great deal of user traffic but make comparatively small royalty payments. It asks U.S. government representatives in Europe to support Article 13 of the Copyright Directive proposed by the European Commission. Continue Reading

Labels mount lawsuit against German stream ripping operation

The three major labels have filed a lawsuit against an operation that they claim is a top offender in stream ripping. German company YouTube-mp3.org is charged with piracy by engaging in an increasingly common form of music copying, where music videos are reduced to audio-only MP3 files for personal consumption and sharing. Continue Reading

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Spotify trying to untie licensing knots before IPO

Spotify is reportedly engaged in a juggling act over its licensing deals with the major labels. According to The Wall Street Journal, the streaming service is running off short-term extensions of its agreements with all three of the major labels. As Spotify continues to move toward a potential IPO, getting all its ducks in a row for these complex legal questions is a must. Continue Reading

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NMPA and NSAI propose big boost in on-demand streaming publisher payments

The National Music Publishers Association and the Nashville Songwriters Association International have submitted their proposal for the rates publishers will receive from interactive music services in the 2018-2022 period. The groups’ submission to the Copyright Royalty Board includes a three-part formula for digital licensing rates. Continue Reading