Time to mobilize the army? YouTube appears to be going all out to defeat the European Union’s proposed Copyright Directive, particularly Article 13. One particular act known as Article 13 would force platform holders to screen content for copyrighted …
Category archives: Copyright
A SoundCloud Troll Successfully Rips Down Artists’ Works Using DMCA ‘Hacks’
After a flaw in SoundCloud’s copyright infringement system was exploited, artists and producers on SoundCloud had their tracks abruptly removed. Dr. Egg, a notorious troll, filed copyright violation claims against multiple artists and producers. Using…
At Least Two Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) Contenders Have Emerged — Here’s the First One
The American Music Licensing Collective (AMLC) is just one group vying to fulfill the duties of the MMA’s Music Licensing Collective (MLC). Last month, the Music Modernization Act (MMA) was signed into law by President Trump. Now, the hard work of cre…
Prince Estate Moves to Secure $4 Million In Damages Over an Unauthorized Release
Prince’s estate filed a federal lawsuit against producer Ian Boxill just a day after Prince’s song called ‘Deliverance’ dropped. The estate has now requested that the judge order Boxill to hand over $3,960,287.65 as damages for the unauthorized release…
Ed Sheeran Settles ‘The Rest Of Our Life’ Song Theft Lawsuit
Will we see Ed Sheeran hit with song theft lawsuits ‘The Rest of Our Life?’ Ed Sheeran is no stranger to lawsuits. Two years ago, heirs to Marvin Gaye’s ‘Let’s Get It On’ filed a lawsuit against the British singer/songwriter. Along with co-writer Amy …
Google Says They’re Passing the Industry’s Anti-Piracy Tests ‘With Flying Colors’
Google’s doing a bang-up job fighting piracy — according to their own recent self-assessment. The music and broader entertainment industries have been in a decade-plus battle with Google over infringing content. Now, governments are stepping up their …
The RIAA and NMPA Warn Ninth Circuit Judge to Overturn ‘Stairway to Heaven’ Ruling
According to both the RIAA and the NMPA, should Led Zeppelin’s ‘Stairway to Heaven’ forced retrial stand, expect a flood of new copyright infringement claims. Last September, on the group’s 50th anniversary, a federal judge presented Led Zeppelin with …
Neighboring Rights Is Broken. Can the Independent Alliance for Artist Rights Fix It?
Discussions about ‘neighboring rights’ are rarely uplifting ones in the music industry. A number of performance rights organizations have earned some nasty reputations, particularly in Europe. But once royalties are being remunerated between countries…
Remasters Aren’t Brand-New Copyrights, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Reaffirms
Digital remasters involve a lot of painstaking work by dedicated sound engineers. But they don’t create a brand-new copyright, according to a decision reaffirmed by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals this week. This started out as a novel argument by …
The Supreme Court Refuses a Case Challenging the DMCA ‘Safe Harbor’
Despite glaring issues with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), the Supreme Court has declined a case challenging the 90s-era rule. The U.S. Supreme Court declines a lot of cases and challenges, often with little explanation. The reject list …