Chris Cooke - CMU | the music business explained (Page 32)

Bombshell copyright ruling could be “financially devastating” for music publishers

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Copyright • 6 min read

Bombshell copyright ruling could be “financially devastating” for music publishers

A ruling last week in a US termination rights dispute could have big ramifications for the music industry. Previously when songwriters exercised the termination right in US copyright law, it was assumed they only got their US rights back. A court has now said termination should apply worldwide…

Chris Cooke • 03 Feb 2025

Apple won’t be forced to let Musi back into its app store, rules judge

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Musi • 2 min read

Apple won’t be forced to let Musi back into its app store, rules judge

Apple kicked music app Musi out of its App Store last September. Musi has sued and wants a preliminary injunction forcing Apple to immediately reinstate its app. A judge has declined to issue that injunction, saying Apple’s terms clearly say it can remove any apps at any time “with or without cause”…

Chris Cooke • 03 Feb 2025

Ticketmaster to offer Canadian customers a $45 voucher after settling ‘drip pricing’ class action

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Ticketmaster • 2 min read

Ticketmaster to offer Canadian customers a $45 voucher after settling ‘drip pricing’ class action

Canadian concert-goers who bought tickets from Ticketmaster in 2018 may get a $45 voucher as part of the settlement of a class action lawsuit against drip pricing. Although Canadian rules on drip pricing are now clearer, the class action argued the practice breached consumer rights law even in 2018…

Chris Cooke • 31 Jan 2025

New allegations made in Diddy criminal case, while Jay-Z hits back again at the lawyer who pulled him into a Diddy lawsuit

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Diddy • 3 min read

New allegations made in Diddy criminal case, while Jay-Z hits back again at the lawyer who pulled him into a Diddy lawsuit

More allegations have been made against Diddy by prosecutors in the criminal case that accuses the musician of racketeering and sex trafficking. Meanwhile Jay-Z is still in a back and forth with the lawyer who added him as a co-defendant on one of the lawsuits accusing Diddy of sexual assault…

Chris Cooke • 31 Jan 2025

Simply prompting an AI model doesn’t make you the author of a copyrighted work, according to the US Copyright Office

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US Copyright Office • 3 min read

Simply prompting an AI model doesn’t make you the author of a copyrighted work, according to the US Copyright Office

When people have tried to register AI-generated works with the US Copyright Office, it has always said that only AI-assisted works enjoy copyright protection. It reaffirms that position in a new report, but provides more information on how to distinguish between AI-generated and AI-assisted content…

Chris Cooke • 30 Jan 2025

With “hundreds of stories from women of being harassed”, UK government needs to tackle harassment and abuse in the music industry

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Black Lives In Music • 2 min read

With “hundreds of stories from women of being harassed”, UK government needs to tackle harassment and abuse in the music industry

Parliament’s Women And Equalities Select Committee staged another session yesterday on misogyny in music, following its report on that topic last year. The last government declined to enact any of the committee’s legislative proposals. MPs were told that current ministers should now do that work…

Chris Cooke • 29 Jan 2025

Playboi Carti sued by former collaborator over unpaid royalties on 2017 track

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Playboi Carti • 2 min read

Playboi Carti sued by former collaborator over unpaid royalties on 2017 track

A singer and producer who provided vocals for Playboi Carti track ‘Kelly K’ says he has never been paid any royalties, despite being allocated a 5% share of the song copyright. He’s suing Playboi Carti as a result, though it’s not clear if those royalties should have been coming via the rapper…

Chris Cooke • 29 Jan 2025

Composers “negotiating in the dark” for “meagre” royalties from TV and movie producers says new ECSA report

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ECSA • 3 min read

Composers “negotiating in the dark” for “meagre” royalties from TV and movie producers says new ECSA report

NDAs, buy-outs and ‘pseudo publishing deals’ are in conflict with key principles in the 2019 European Copyright Directive and are being used by video streaming platforms, and TV and movie producers, to drive down royalties to audiovisual composers, says a new report from ECSA…

Chris Cooke • 28 Jan 2025

Eminem sues local Ford dealership over “one shot” TikTok rip-off

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Eminem • 2 min read

Eminem sues local Ford dealership over “one shot” TikTok rip-off

A Ford dealership in Michigan is the latest company to be sued for using music in promotional videos on TikTok without securing the necessary licences. LaFontaine Ford St Clair has been sued by Eminem’s publisher Eight Mile Style after it used ‘Lose Yourself’ in social media posts last autumn…

Chris Cooke • 28 Jan 2025

Movie producers and publishers want US to implement web-blocking to halt piracy

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Web blocking • 2 min read

Movie producers and publishers want US to implement web-blocking to halt piracy

Web-blocking is an anti-piracy tactic of choice for the music industry, but is not an option under US copyright law. The copyright industries would like that to change, and some optimism was expressed last week at an Anti-Piracy Symposium that web-blocking will be available in the US at some point…

Chris Cooke • 28 Jan 2025

Universal tries to get Drake petition in Texas courts dismissed by arguing he’s relying on mere “hearsay”

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Drake • 2 min read

Universal tries to get Drake petition in Texas courts dismissed by arguing he’s relying on mere “hearsay”

Last year Drake filed petitions against Universal Music with courts in New York and Texas, accusing it of employing dodgy tactics when promoting Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’. The New York petition was replaced by the big defamation lawsuit, but the Texas one stands. Universal wants it dismissed…

Chris Cooke • 27 Jan 2025

Universal Music’s new Spotify deal could be a knock-out blow for streaming platform’s audiobook bundling trick

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Spotify • 4 min read

Universal Music’s new Spotify deal could be a knock-out blow for streaming platform’s audiobook bundling trick

Universal Music has signed a big new deal with Spotify, and it’s precisely what Lucian Grainge “envisioned” when he coined the buzzword “streaming 2.0”, apparently. More importantly, it seems to address the audiobook bundling dispute when it comes to Universal’s songs catalogue in the US…

Chris Cooke • 27 Jan 2025