While copyright tends to get the most coverage when it comes to music industry law, trademarks and trademark rights are also incredibly consequential to any artist, band, or DJ. Here we look at the importance of choosing a unique trademark and ensuring you register it through the proper channels. _____________________________…
Category archives: Publishing & Songwriting
New Copyright Office Regs Concerning Pre-72 Recordings
Here Chris Castle outlines some of the new regulations surrounding how the passage of the CLASSICS Act section of the MMA will effect pre-72 recording copyright owners, and the procedure for recovering statutory damages for infringement. ________________________ Guest post by Chris Castle of Music Tech Solutions Title II of the…
Taylor Swift’s Story Is Indictment Of "Negotiating Asymmetries" and Call For Copyright Reform
In this piece, Neil Turkewitz offers a different take on the recent Taylor Swift rights ownership incident, arguing against viewing it as an indictment of copyright, and rather as a reminder that the rules protecting creators’ intellectual property need to be easier to enforce. _____________________________ Op-ed by Neil Turkewitz from…
Taylor Swift Should Re-record Hits Lost To Scooter Braun, says Kelly Clarkson
Shake it off, Kelly Clarkson is telling Taylor Swift about her feud with Scooter Bruan and Scott Borchetta, by re-recording and releasing the hits that Braun now controls after acquiring her former record label, Big Machine. Swift called the sale her "worst case scenario;" and re-recording the hits would both…
UN Organization Debuts New, Global Anti-Piracy Database
Despite streaming’s popularity, piracy is once again on the rise at an alarming pace, leading the United Nations’ World Intellectual Property Organization to unveil a new global anti-piracy database, aimed at curbing this alarming spike in intellectual property theft. ______________________________ Guest post by James Shotwell of Haulix Piracy is growing…
Big Changes For YouTube Content Management and ID
It’s been a tumultuous time at YouTube, with a number of important changes taking place regarding how the site handles content ID, and content management overall. Here Chris Robley of CD Baby breaks down some of the changes and explains how your bottom line might be affected by these shifts….
BUSINESS OF INDIE: Indie Growth • Iggy Azalea Goes Indie • Merlin + Jaxsta • More
In a new edition of the Business Of Indie we share of streaming driven indie growth, hitmaker Iggy Azalea’s return to an independent label, Merlin’s new Jaxsta deal for music credits and more/ Like Hypebot’s More News section, The Business Of Indie is nestled under its own Indie tab at…
Spotify’s ‘Dance Like Nobody’s Paying’ Serves As Call For User-centric Royalties
Spotify’s new ad campaign ‘Dance Like Nobody’s Paying’ drew ire from musicians and artist advocates “Dance like nobody’s paying because we aren’t,” tweeted singer/songwriter David Poe in response. The ad is also an ironic reminder of the need to shift to user-centric royalties, writes Chris Castle. ____________________________ By Chris Castle…
Jaxsta Inks With Merlin To Deliver Indie Music Credits
Australian music tech startup Jaxsta has announced a deal to deliver track and album credits from global independent music licensor Merlin and its thousands of label members. With the deal, Jaxsta now has access to the credits of more than 80% of all global music releases. Just last month Jaxsta…
How To Use Spotify Analytics For Labels
For those running a label with music on Spotify, the platform has a ton of exciting tools packed into its Spotify Analytics for Labels feature, all for the low-low price of nothing at all. Here we explore what it does and why you should care about it. _____________________________ Guest post…