Copyright - CMU | the music business explained

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

Will Page says music copyright generated $45.5 billion in 2023

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

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GEMA • 3 min read

GEMA sues OpenAI

German collecting society GEMA has sued OpenAI for copyright infringement, saying generative AI poses “fundamental legal questions that we absolutely must clarify” through litigation. It’s the first music industry lawsuit against an AI company within Europe rather than the US…

Chris Cooke • 13 Nov 2024

Major labels vs ISPs rumbles on as labels ask appeals court to reconsider latest Grande ruling

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Grande Communications • 3 min read

Major labels vs ISPs rumbles on as labels ask appeals court to reconsider latest Grande ruling

A US appeals court recently upheld a copyright ruling secured against Grande Communications by the major labels. However, it also ordered for the ISP’s damages bill to be recalculated in a way that would mean the labels get less cash. The majors want that element of the decision to be reconsidered…

Chris Cooke • 12 Nov 2024

Cox again urges Supreme Court to review major label dispute, to stop “innocent users” losing internet access because “a guest downloaded a couple of songs”

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Cox Communications • 3 min read

Cox again urges Supreme Court to review major label dispute, to stop “innocent users” losing internet access because “a guest downloaded a couple of songs”

Cox Communications has made another filing with the US Supreme Court, which it wants to intervene in its billion dollar legal dispute with the major record companies. Much of the submission deals with legal technicalities, but it also makes some bombastic ‘save the internet’ type statements…

Chris Cooke • 06 Nov 2024

Universal Music claims Believe has built its business on “industrial-scale copyright infringement” and wants $500 million

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Believe • 3 min read

Universal Music claims Believe has built its business on “industrial-scale copyright infringement” and wants $500 million

Universal Music has filed a bombastic $500 million lawsuit against Believe accusing it of facilitating rampant copyright infringement by allowing fraudsters to illegally deliver tracks owned by the major to the streaming services, claiming royalties when those uploads are streamed…

Chris Cooke • 05 Nov 2024