Copyright - CMU | the music business explained

Controversial ruling on US termination right fulfills the intention of Congress, say creators

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Copyright • 4 min read

Controversial ruling on US termination right fulfills the intention of Congress, say creators

Earlier this year a court ruling expanded the scope of the termination right in US copyright law, saying that creators can reclaim rights globally, not just in the US. That potentially overturns longstanding industry convention, but creator groups insist it was the right ruling and should be upheld…

Chris Cooke • 01 Aug 2025

First Anthropic, now Meta: another judge accepts fair use defence in AI training - but there’s a sting

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Meta • 4 min read

First Anthropic, now Meta: another judge accepts fair use defence in AI training - but there’s a sting

When it was sued by a group of authors for using their books in AI training without permission, Meta used the fair use defence. A judge has accepted that defence but says that in many cases AI training probably isn’t fair use and he provides some arguments rightsholders could employ in similar cases…

Chris Cooke • 26 Jun 2025

Budweiser boasts of “$0 spent on music rights” in “iconic songs” campaign, wins ad-land’s biggest prize

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Budweiser • 6 min read

Budweiser boasts of “$0 spent on music rights” in “iconic songs” campaign, wins ad-land’s biggest prize

Budweiser, the king of carbonated disappointment in a can, is proud that it’s found an apparent loophole that means it doesn’t need to pay for “music right$” when harnessing “the most iconic songs in the world” to shill its sad excuse for a beer. And now it’s won an award…

Sam Taylor & Chris Cooke • 20 Jun 2025

UK government veers away from AI copyright exception in latest response to controversial Data Bill

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Artificial Intelligence • 4 min read

UK government veers away from AI copyright exception in latest response to controversial Data Bill

MPs will tomorrow try to put measures around copyright and AI, previously backed by the House Of Lords, into the Data Bill. Keen to stop that, ministers are hoping to placate MPs by saying they no longer favour the controversial proposal to introduce a new copyright exception to benefit AI companies…

Chris Cooke • 06 May 2025

US judge demolishes fair use defence in what could be landmark AI lawsuit

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Artificial Intelligence • 3 min read

US judge demolishes fair use defence in what could be landmark AI lawsuit

An AI company’s fair use defence in a copyright legal battle filed by Thomson Reuters has been rejected by an American judge. It’s a significant ruling because of the numerous US lawsuits against AI companies, including those filed by the music industry, that centre on the fair use defence…

Chris Cooke • 12 Feb 2025

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

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

Copyright group says UK’s AI Opportunities Action Plan stance on data mining reform is “deeply concerning”

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Artificial Intelligence • 2 min read

Copyright group says UK’s AI Opportunities Action Plan stance on data mining reform is “deeply concerning”

Earlier this week the UK government launched its AI Opportunities Action Plan, basically stating that UK law should have an AI copyright exception like EU law, even though ministers are in the midst of a consultation supposedly scrutinising that proposal. The copyright industries are not impressed…

Chris Cooke • 15 Jan 2025

“Unprecedented theft” by AI companies of creators work must be tackled say Australian MPs

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Artificial Intelligence • 2 min read

“Unprecedented theft” by AI companies of creators work must be tackled say Australian MPs

A committee in the Australian parliament has published a report on AI urging the country’s government to help creators stop the “unprecedented theft of their work” by AI companies. Unsurprisingly, the music industry has welcomed the report and its key recommendations…

Chris Cooke • 02 Dec 2024

Music piracy in Europe down 75% in seven years, and significantly behind TV piracy

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Piracy • 2 min read

Music piracy in Europe down 75% in seven years, and significantly behind TV piracy

The EU’s Intellectual Property Office has published its latest report on piracy across Europe. Although music piracy in 2023 was up slightly, it’s down significantly compared to 2017. Europeans are also illegally accessing unlicensed TV services much more frequently than they are pirating music…

Chris Cooke • 02 Dec 2024

Will Page says music copyright generated $45.5 billion in 2023

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Music Rights • 3 min read

Music copyright brought in $45.5 billion in 2023, according to Will Page, who has collated industry stats to calculate a figure for the entire sector. Though he says the actual figure is probably higher, because not all the industry reports he relies on capture all the revenue…

Chris Cooke • 25 Nov 2024

Ed Sheeran song-theft case should be reconsidered because of fishy Supreme Court ruling, says SAS

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Ed Sheeran • 3 min read

Ed Sheeran song-theft case should be reconsidered because of fishy Supreme Court ruling, says SAS

The Second Circuit Appeals Court recently ruled that Ed Sheeran’s ‘Thinking Out Loud’ doesn’t rip off Marvin Gaye’s ‘Let’s Get It On’. But the company involved in that lawsuit says a recent US Supreme Court ruling impacts on a copyright technicality that could change that judgement…

Chris Cooke • 20 Nov 2024