Digital - CMU | the music business explained

TikTok seeks help from Supreme Court and Donald Trump in latest bid to avoid January ban in the US

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TikTok • 3 min read

TikTok seeks help from Supreme Court and Donald Trump in latest bid to avoid January ban in the US

TikTok has turned to both the US Supreme Court and Donald Trump as it seeks to stop a ban that is due to come into effect in the US on 19 Jan. Meanwhile the EU is investigating if TikTok did enough to stop its platform being used to spread disinformation in the recent Romanian elections…

Chris Cooke • 18 Dec 2024

TikTok’s attempt to delay ban is just a rehash of previously rejected arguments says US government

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TikTok • 3 min read

TikTok’s attempt to delay ban is just a rehash of previously rejected arguments says US government

TikTok wants a Washington DC court to delay a 19 Jan deadline for owner ByteDance to sell the app, so it can take its battle against the law that set that deadline to the Supreme Court. The US government says that’s not necessary because the Supreme Court itself can pause the deadline if required…

Chris Cooke • 12 Dec 2024

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GEMA • 2 min read

GEMA publishes AI Charter

A new AI Charter from German collecting society GEMA sets out the music industry’s usual demands of AI companies, but also discusses moral rights and imbalances in negotiating power…

Chris Cooke • 05 Nov 2024

Sony Music shows off “next-generation immersive technologies”, trails upcoming Myles Smith Fortnite event

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Sony Music • 3 min read

Sony Music shows off “next-generation immersive technologies”, trails upcoming Myles Smith Fortnite event

Sony has loads of fancy toys, and that’s making it easier than ever to create content. In particular, the major is keen to talk up how quickly, easily and cheaply it can whack out immersive content for artists who want to dip their toes - or other virtual bodyparts - into the world of Fortnite…

Sam Taylor & Chris Cooke • 22 Oct 2024

DiMA rails against Canada’s streaming levy, launches letter writing campaign

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DiMA • 2 min read

DiMA rails against Canada’s streaming levy, launches letter writing campaign

Streaming services continue in their campaign against the proposed 5% streaming levy in Canada, funds from which would support independent music and commercial radio news. Already fighting the levy in the courts, they have now launched a public-facing campaign urging consumers to write to their MPs…

Chris Cooke • 01 Oct 2024

The MLC and Spotify’s legal back-and-forth rumbles on as MLC says Spotify is “relying on new purported facts”

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Spotify • 2 min read

The MLC and Spotify’s legal back-and-forth rumbles on as MLC says Spotify is “relying on new purported facts”

The back and forth in the big bundling dispute between Spotify and US collecting society The MLC continues. Last month Spotify urged the court to dismiss The MLC’s lawsuit. In a new legal filing, The MLC argues that the legal standard for dismissal at this stage has not been met…

Chris Cooke • 23 Sep 2024

Music groups ask US Supreme Court to stop “race to the bottom” by ISPs in anti-piracy work

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Cox Communications • 2 min read

Music groups ask US Supreme Court to stop “race to the bottom” by ISPs in anti-piracy work

After four ISPs made a filing with the US Supreme court supporting Cox in its legal battle with the major record labels, now six organisations representing copyright owners have made a submission in support of the music companies. The majors are trying to protect their billion dollar damages…

Chris Cooke • 20 Sep 2024

New AI protections come into effect in California - and no, they don’t make memes illegal

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AI • 3 min read

New AI protections come into effect in California - and no, they don’t make memes illegal

American union SAG-AFTRA has welcomed new protections for performers in the context of AI that were signed into law in California yesterday. There are also new laws about using AI when creating political content during election campaigns which have annoyed X boss Elon Musk…

Chris Cooke • 19 Sep 2024

Selling is not an option says TikTok’s lawyer, as court proceedings open with freedom of speech arguments

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TikTok • 2 min read

Selling is not an option says TikTok’s lawyer, as court proceedings open with freedom of speech arguments

Judges yesterday scrutinised lawyers from TikTok as the social media company tries to block the sell-or-be-banned law passed by US Congress earlier this year. It argues that the law violates free speech and is therefore unconstitutional…

Chris Cooke • 17 Sep 2024

US internet providers slam “extortionate pressure” of copyright lawsuits as they urge the Supreme Court to scrap Cox judgement

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Cox Communications • 3 min read

US internet providers slam “extortionate pressure” of copyright lawsuits as they urge the Supreme Court to scrap Cox judgement

Cox Communications is trying to get the US Supreme Court to review the billion dollar judgement in its legal battle with the major record companies. Yesterday four other ISPs made a submission to the court supporting their rival and urging the top court to intervene…

Chris Cooke • 17 Sep 2024

Spotify pilots new tools so parents can control how their kids experience the app

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Spotify • 2 min read

Spotify pilots new tools so parents can control how their kids experience the app

Spotify continues in its bid to be seen as a responsible platform protecting children that use its app. It is piloting new tools in three markets that allow parents to control managed accounts for their children within a family plan, so they can exclude certain content, artists and tracks…

Chris Cooke • 16 Sep 2024

BMI takes royalty rate dispute with Sirius XM to rate court

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BMI • 2 min read

BMI takes royalty rate dispute with Sirius XM to rate court

BMI is taking Sirius XM to the rate court, having failed to agree what royalty rates the satellite broadcaster should pay for use of the collecting society’s repertoire. The National Music Publishers Association has welcomed the move, saying it hopes the action will lessen the ‘digital radio divide’…

Chris Cooke • 13 Sep 2024