MUSIC RIGHTS - INSIDE & OUT
A beginner's guide to music copyright - everything you need to know about copyright law, licensing, monetising copyright, the fight against piracy and the future of the music rights industry. Wed 15 Jun 2011

MUSIC BUSINESS MODELS - MAKING MONEY, FINDING INVESTMENT
How to make money out of music - both now and in the future, with a look at alternative investment and revenue streams, and a new approach to monetising artists and their music. Wed 29 Jun

For more information or to book visit www.theCMUwebsite.com/training

WPP BLACKLISTS COPYRIGHT INFRINGING WEBSITES IN US
Advertising giant WPP has published a list of 2000 websites in the US that it reckons carry illegal or pirated content. The list will be used by all the media buying agencies that sit under WPP's GroupM business in the US, with execs in those companies told not to buy any advertising on those sites.

It's thought GroupM has an annual ad spend of $3.5 billion under its control in the US alone, representing clients like Ford, Unilever, AT&T and IBM. Crucially, the ad firm's client list also includes Universal Music and the Warner and Paramount film companies, who have very possibly been bemoaning to their ad men about seeing adverts for big brands on websites they believe are illegally distributing their content.

Confirming the blacklist had been compiled, GroupM Interaction's Global CEO Rob Norman told reporters: "We're serious about combating piracy and protecting our clients' intellectual property as forcefully as we possibly can. This policy [of not buying ads with the blacklisted sites] extends to digital media buyers at all GroupM agencies, as well as other WPP companies like Team Detroit, which manages Ford's media business".

According to The Guardian, among the sites blacklisted are access-anything.com, albumhunt.com, extratorrent.com, fileseek.info, free-tv-show.com, gpirate.com, kickasstorrents.com and laptop-downloads.com. Norman added that WPP would be regularly updating the list, partly because websites that host pirated content have a habit of 'domain hopping', and that the intent is to expand the blacklist to WPP media agencies around the world.

As previously reported, Google last year pledged to stop websites that infringe copyrights from using its adwords service, also in a bid to cut off potential revenue streams from such operations. Of course, not all copyright infringing websites rely on such revenue, but those that do will be hit by measures like this. Some might question whose job it is to decide what websites 'infringe' IP rights, especially once you get into the domain of linking to rather than hosting unlicensed content. In this case it seems WPP did consult its content-owning clients for help putting together the blacklist.

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JA RULE JAILED
Rap man Ja Rule told his fans and family "see y'all later" as he was handcuffed and led away from a courtroom in New York yesterday to serve a two year prison sentence over weapon possession charges stemming from a 2007 arrest.

Having reached a plea deal last December, Ja had six months to prepare for his prison stint, just enough time to finish off an album, which - his manager said yesterday - should be out in July or August. The hip hopper also told journalists that he hoped to use his time in jail to write a book, sit some exams and possibly take up the guitar. Sounds like fun, how many weapons do I need to possess to get some away time for myself?

Although officially jailed for two years, the rap man could be out in eighteen months - some reckon as soon a sixteen months - if he sticks to the rules on the inside.

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LIL WAYNE SUED OVER UNPAID ROYALTIES
And now some legal news involving Ja Rule's partner in crime (literally, in that he also served jail time relating to the same 2007 arrest), Mr Lil Wayne. And they always say, don't they, that you've not made it in hip hop until you've sued Lil Wayne for unpaid royalties? Well, they don't. But they could. And that's what counts.

Producer and songwriter David Kirkwood is the latest person to do so, having filed a lawsuit against Cash Money Records and Wayne's imprint Young Money last Friday. Kirkwood claims he is owed $1.5 million in royalties and for "production services" in relation to the track 'Love Me Or Hate Me', which appeared on Lil Wayne's last album 'Tha Carter III'.

Producers Bangladesh and Deezle have previously launched legal claims against the rapper and his label over unpaid royalties from other tracks on 'Tha Carter III'.

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NELSON GETS OFF DRUGS CHARGE WITH MODEST FINE
Willie Nelson has got off with a modest fine for those previously reported drug charges, which stemmed from when a border patrol in Texas found marijuana when they pulled over the country legend back in November last year.

As previously reported, the drugs charges hit the headlines when the County Attorney overseeing the case, Kit Bramblett, said he'd let the singer off if he came and sang in his courtroom. He later insisted that offer had been a joke, and told reporters yesterday: "He's not coming, he's not singing".

Famous for his love of the weed, Nelson will pay a total of $787 to settle these latest drugs charges.

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CLEVELAND RECORDS MAN DIES
Steve Popovich, the US record label executive perhaps best known for releasing Meat Loaf's 'Bat Out Of Hell' when no one else would, has died aged 68.

Popovich began his record industry career in Cleveland unloading trucks for the local Columbia Records warehouse. He worked his way up the hierarchy, eventually becoming VP Promotions of the label's parent company CBS Records. While at CBS he played a key role at bringing the Jacksons to the Epic label after they parted company with Motown, a deal which definitely paid off for the company that would eventually become Sony Music.

Popovich left CBS in the mid-seventies, setting up his own label Cleveland International, which was distributed by his former employer. There he worked with the likes of Ronnie Spector and Ian Hunter, and, in 1977, he released the crazy Meat Loaf/Jim Steinman collaboration that was 'Bat Out Of Hell', an album which by that point had been shopped around and rejected by pretty much every other record company in America.

Of course, it went on to be a phenomenally big selling album, and one that later caused two legal squabbles between Popovich and his distributor, Sony Music. He successfully sued the major over unpaid royalties on the album in 1995, and again in 2005 because Sony had failed to include a Cleveland International logo on re-releases of the record, a condition of the 1995 legal settlement.

Among the other artists Popvich worked with over the years were the likes of Boston, Cheap Trick and Ted Nugent. His son confirmed he had died yesterday morning, though the cause of death is not yet known.

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DIE ANTWOORD COLLABORATOR DJ SOLARIZE DIES
DJ Solarize, real name Leon Botha, best known outside his native South Africa for his work with Die Antwoord, died on Sunday, the day after his 26th birthday, it has been reported.

Botha was born with the rare genetic disorder progeria, which causes sufferers to age at an accelerated rate. Most die by their teens, and Botha was the oldest known living person with progeria in the world prior to his death. He regularly opened Die Antwoord shows with DJ sets, and featured in the group's video for 'Enter The Ninja': www.youtube.com/watch?v=cegdR0GiJl4.

He was also a visual artist, displaying his first solo exhibition, 'Liquid Sword: I Am Hip Hop', in 2007, and later working with photographer Gordon Clark on a series of portraits exploring his condition and society's view of him.

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GAGA SALES FALL 84% IN WEEK TWO
So, as you might have expected, after the predictable first week rush to buy the new Lady Gaga album, a rush boosted, of course, by Amazon's decision to sell it for just 99 cents in the US, sales tailed off a bit in week two. In fact, they dropped 84% in America, from 1.1 million in week one to 170,000 in week two.

Though Gaga still outsold the US's second biggest seller of the week Adele's '21', which shifted 121,000 copies, while Death Cab For Cuties' 'Codes And Keys' sold 102,000. Eddy Vedder managed to convince 71,000 people to buy his 'Ukulele Songs' album, and at five My Morning Jacket sold 55,000 copies of 'Circuital'.

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SEINFELD QUITS BIOHAZARD
Biohazard bassist and founder member Evan Seinfeld has quit the band just days before their performance at this weekend's Download Festival. Scott Roberts, who played on the band's last album, 2005's 'Means To An End', will replace him until the metallers can find a permanent replacement.

Guitarist Bobby Hambel told reporters: "We have a long history together, but it's time for a change. We wish Evan well".

Prior to Seinfeld's departure, the band completed their latest album, the first to feature the original line-up since 1994's 'State Of The World Address', earlier this year. The as-yet-untitled record is due for release this autumn.

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WHY? WORKING ON NEW ALBUM
Indie/hip hop hybrid band Why?'s Yoni Wolf has revealed that the band are working on their next album, the follow-up to 2009's 'Eskimo Snow'.

Wolf told The 405: "I've written all the songs for the new record but we haven't recorded it yet. Up until a week and a half ago, when we started working on these live shows full time, I had a pretty strict schedule. I was working every day, with rarely a day off. Every once in a while I'd take a Sunday off. But just writing songs and making demos. My job was to have one demo done every week, and that's what I did".

Of the writing process he added: "I've mostly always written on piano, usually by myself. 'Eskimo Snow' had the most collaborations of all our albums. Our process is always changing. I never go into something knowing how it's gonna work. I have nineteen demos down and send out to the guys, and they'll be writing and enhancing them over the next few weeks. I'm very excited about it, I like the material a lot".

Read the full interview at: thefourohfive.com/news/article/putting-down-roots-then-pulling-them-up-why-interview. And check out Yoni's CMU Powers Of Ten playlist here: www.thecmuwebsite.com/article/yoni-wolf-from-whys-powers-of-ten-playlist/

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KASABIAN ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM
Kasabian have announced that they will release their fourth album, 'Velociraptor!', on 19 Sep through Sony/Columbia. The album is the follow-up to 2009's 'West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum'.

The first track to be released from the album, 'Switchblade Smiles', is currently being streamed via the band's website, and will be available to download instantly to fans who pre-order 'Velociraptor!' through said site. Find out more here: www.kasabian.co.uk/switchblade-smiles/

Tracklist:

Let's Roll Just Like We Used To
Days Are Forgotten
Goodbye Kiss
La Fée Verte
Velociraptor!
Acid Turkish Bath (Shelter From the Storm)
I Hear Voices
Re-wired
Man of Simple Pleasures
Switchblade Smiles
Neon Noon

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NIGHTWAVE ANNOUNCES NEW EP
Nightwave, the producer formerly known at 8Bitch, has announced that she will release her latest EP, 'The Feel', via Svetlana Industries on vinyl on 27 Jun, with the digital version following on 11 Jul.

Watch the video for lead track, 'Feel', here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=egE-3cmtgmg

The full tracklist for the EP is as follows:

Feel
Night Bird
You Are My High
Bit Pony
Night Bird (Unknown To The Unknown Drunk Mix)

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CORNELIA ANNOUNCES NEW SINGLE
CMU Approved Cornelia has announced that she will release a new single next month, the follow-up to double A-side 'By The Fire/Now And Hereafter', which was released in February. 'Aquarius Dreams' catches her once again on top pop form and will be released by Camp Mozart on 4 Jul.

While you wait, check out some of her older releases on SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/cornelia/sets

'Aquarius Dreams' will come packaged with remixes from Kid Specific, DVA and Will Ward.

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KYLIE ANNOUNCES 3D LIVE FILM SCREENING
Kylie Minogue will be screening a 3D film of her 'Aphrodite Les Folies' tour in cinemas around the UK on 19 Jun. 120 minutes in length, the film was directed by William Baker and Macus Viner. Popcorn will be served. At a price. I'm guessing. Watch the trailer here:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=31Q71QNOfZA

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PATRICK WOLF ANNOUNCES UK TOUR
With his fifth album, 'Lupercalia', which finds him unnervingly chirpy, out on 20 Jun, Patrick Wolf has announced that he will begin a UK tour in October, finishing up at The Roundhouse in London on 4 Nov. Tickets officially go on sale on 13 Jun, but will be available from www.patrickwolf.com from 10 Jun.

Speaking about the tour, Wolf told CMU: "After the party of festival season, I want the 'Lupercalia' tour to be at the mercy of cupids arrows, that anyone who comes to the show will fall in love or fall deeper in love with their lovers. For domino dancers and hardcore romantics, a celebration of love and life".

Watch the video for new single, 'House', here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCoJXqGn_kg

And here are the tour dates:

22 Oct: Edinburgh, Liquid Room
26 Oct: Manchester, Ritz
27 Oct: Leeds, Cockpit
28 Oct: Sheffield, Foundry
30 Oct: Cardiff, Millennium Music Hall
31 Oct: Oxford Academy 2
1 Nov: Bournemouth, The Old Firestation
2 Nov: Brighton, Komedia
4 Nov: London, Roundhouse

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FESTIVAL LINE-UP UPDATE

THE GREEN MAN FESTIVAL, Glanusk Park, Powys, Wales, 19-21 Aug: The newly-announced 'Far Out After Dark' line-ups, hosted successively by Hot Chip's Joe Goddard and Raf Daddy of 2 Bears, Warp Records, and Andrew Weatherall and Sean Joshnston, will play host to an array of acts including Squarepusher, Ewan Pearson, Horse Meat Disco and She Keeps Bees. They join an overall bill that stars Bellowhead, Laura Marling, Villagers, Lia Ices, Sic Alps, Holy Fuck and The Low Anthem. www.greenman.net

LOUNGE ON THE FARM, Merton Farm, Canterbury, Kent, 8-10 Jul: New to proceedings at this illustrious Kentish fest are Art Brut, Frankmusik, legendary producer Adamski and folk quintet Pearl & The Puppets. Co-headliners The Streets, Ellie Goulding and Echo & The Bunnymen are flanked on the existing bill by acts including Graham Coxon, Katy B, The Vaccines, Johnny Flynn and Jamie Woon. www.loungeonthefarm.co.uk

WATCHET LIVE, Parsonage Farm, Watchet, West Somerset, 26-28 Aug: Organisers have pulled off a coup in securing humble 'X-Factor' champ Leon Jackson for this diminutive, family-friendly Somerset-based bash. Alongside a comedy line-up, Kids Corner area and cheap ales (for adults only), the festival will also host performances from the likes of Dreadzone, Dodgy, The Wurzels and Hobo Jones & The Junkyard Dogs. www.watchetfestival.co.uk

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PPL BOSS TO STEP DOWN
The boss of recording royalties collecting society PPL, Fran Nevrkla, confirmed he was stepping down yesterday. Speaking at the society's AGM in London, he said he would step down at the start of next year. The body's Executive Director, legal affairs man Peter Leathem, has been appointed MD with immediate effect, and he will takeover as CEO in January. Nevrkla will then become Chairman of PPL and its sister organisation VPL.

Confirming his destiny as PPL boss man fella, Leathem told CMU: "I am thrilled and deeply honoured to be appointed CEO of the company at the beginning of 2012. My thanks firstly must go to Fran who has taken the company to a level that would have been unforeseen by the industry when he came here in 2000. As the industry continues its evolution, I am fully aware of the responsibility of running a company that this century has already collected nearly one and a quarter billion pounds in licensing revenue. I very much look forward to working with all the company's stakeholders to manage the rights mandated to us".

At the same AGM, PPL announced that the revenues it collected for 2010 were 10.7% up on the previous year, to £143.5 million. The uplift was in part due to a mega 47% increase in the collection of international royalties, a big priority area for PPL in recent years.

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UNIVERSAL INSISTS MOTOWN NOT CLOSING
Universal Music in the US yesterday assured Billboard that it remains committed to its Motown division, after one of the label's artists, that pesky Erykah Badu, tweeted, simply, "Motown folded".

Assuming Badu was revealing Motown was to close - and given that its boss Sylvia Rhone was recently shunted into a new role elsewhere within the major music group - speculation grew online that the Motown brand was about to be finally withdrawn from active service. But then Universal issued a statement to Billboard insisting that was definitely not happening.

The major said it continued to look for a successor for Rhone who, although not likely to have such a senior role as she did within the wider Universal group, will nevertheless be charged with the task of taking the Motown label onwards and upwards. So, there you go.

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INGROOVES TO TAKE OVER MORE DISTRIBUTION FOR UNIVERSAL
Digital distribution firm INgrooves has announced that Universal Music, which has a stake in the company, will again be extending their use of the company's services and its ONE Digital platform.

Universal in the US is already using INgrooves to manage the digital distribution of its distributed labels, so third parties like Disney Music, Concord Music and Fontana, who use Universal's wider distribution services. And yesterday it was announced that Universal would now be moving the distribution of the digital catalogue of its own US labels to INgrooves and ONE Digital as well.

INgrooves founder Robb McDaniels told CMU: "It is no small task to provide the world's largest music company with a customised enterprise software platform that combines robust functionality with cost effectiveness, and we are proud to see the validation of our ONE Digital platform continue with this implementation".

Meanwhile Universal's Vincent Freda added: "The successful launch of this platform illustrates INgrooves' technical strength and commitment to excellence. We are pleased to be expanding our relationship with INgrooves in North America".

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SONGKICK LAUNCHES IPHONE APP
Live music web service Songkick has launched a rather snazzy new iPhone and iPad app which will allow users to track their favourite bands, browse live listings by location, and share concert plans, all via their portable devices.

At launch, the app scans the user's music library to find artists to track (the scanning screen is worth downloading the software for on its own), but probably most interesting is the 'what gigs are happening near me tonight' function which, although an obvious service to offer, is pretty cool nevertheless, benefiting, of course, from all the listings on the main Songkick platform.

Confirming the app launch, Songkick top dude Ian Hogarth told reporters: "We're on a mission to make sure music fans never miss another concert by one of their favourite artists. The Songkick Concerts app makes it easy for music lovers to know when their favourite bands are coming to town, quickly check out ticket options, and share concert information with friends on Facebook and Twitter".

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DANCETRIPPIN LAUNCHES TV CHANNEL
Dance music website DanceTrippin has launched a TV channel all of its own. The footage of DJ sets recorded around the world that make up much of the DanceTrippin site's content have already been aired on other music channels around Europe, but now the franchise will have its own service broadcasting via satellite, though it's not clear yet if it will feature on the Sky EPG here in the UK.

Confirming DanceTrippin was now getting its own TV channel, the company's founder told reporters: "It's been a very long road to get here, but we've always believed in the need for a dedicated dance music channel, both online and broadcast TV. All the factors have finally converged and the time is right. We strive to create a positive force in the dance industry, as a strong promotional vehicle for the artists, music releases, and events which we and our audience loves so much".

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DAVID ARQUETTE EVICTED FOR SNAPPING PRINCE
Acting type David Arquette has claimed he was thrown out of a recent Prince concert in the US for taking a photo of the artist formerly known as the artist formerly known as, even though Prince himself had urged his fans to do so. Arquette was seemingly asked to leave after trying to defend another gig goer who was also being challenged over his Prince sanctioned phone-based photo taking.

WENN quote Arquette as follows: "Prince was like: 'Alright, I'm about to play my hits, so get out your phones'. I didn't take any more pictures but the kid next to me was taking pictures and I still had my phone in my hand. Security came to take this kid away and they said: 'You gotta get rid of all those pictures on your phone'. I said: 'Prince just said we could take the pictures'. And so I got kicked out of the Prince show [too]".

So, Hop Farm goers be warned, when Prince says "take photos of me with your phones", he possibly really means "take a photo of me and I'll have my people evict your ass from this here building slash farm complex".

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