MIDiA: Global recorded music revenues grew by 9.8% in 2023

After a slower 2022, global recorded music revenues grew by 9.8% in 2023 to reach $35.1 billion, compared to 7.1% in 2022, which means that the market is now more than double (124.5%) the size it was in 2015. 2023 was the year in which the industry settled back into a positive growth trajectory after the volatility of the pandemic and post-pandemic years. But the numbers also point to a market that is embarking on a major period of change.

Source: Global recorded music revenues grew by 9.8% in 2023

Publishers Cite Napster and AI Threat in Legal Battle with the Internet Archive 

A copyright lawsuit filed by several major publishers puts the future of the Internet Archive’s scan-and-lend library at risk. In a recent appeal, the non-profit organization argued that its solution is protected by fair use and critical to preserving digital books. The publishers, however, frame it as a radical and unlawful threat to their exclusive right to publish ebooks.

Source: Publishers Cite Napster and AI Training Threats in Legal Battle with the Internet Archive * TorrentFreak

Barcelona appeals court rules that SGAE ‘abused its position’ in the market

The Spanish Society of Authors and Publishers (SGAE) “abused its position” as the country’s dominant collective management organization (CMO) to prevent members from switching to a competing agency, a court in Barcelona has concluded. The ruling marks a victory for UNISON, a Barcelona-based private music rights management company set up in 2017 as a competitor to SGAE.

Source: Barcelona appeals court rules that Spanish authors’ society SGAE ‘abused its position’ in the market, in victory for rival UNISON

Midjourney bets it can beat the copyright police

Last week, Midjourney, the AI startup building image generators, made a small, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it change to its terms of service related to the company’s policy around IP disputes. It mainly served to replace jokey language with more lawyerly, doubtless case law–grounded clauses. But the change can also be taken as a sign of Midjourney’s conviction that AI vendors like itself will emerge victorious in the courtroom battles with creators whose works comprise vendors’ training data.

Source: This Week in AI: Midjourney bets it can beat the copyright police | TechCrunch

Europe investigates Big Tech’s use of generative AI 

The European Union launched a probe Thursday into Big Tech’s use of artificial intelligence and its handling of computer-generated deepfakes, ramping up scrutiny of a technology officials fear could disrupt elections. The inquiry is aimed at companies including Meta, Microsoft, Snap, TikTok and X, focusing on how the tech giants plan to manage the risks of generative artificial intelligence as they increasingly roll out consumer-facing AI tools.

Source: Europe investigates Big Tech’s use of generative AI | CNN Business

Deezer has deleted 26m ‘useless’ tracks since it launched artist-centric model with UMG

Deezer says that it had around 200 million pieces of content on the platform last year, which means that over 13% of this content has been deleted. “The intention is to declutter the platform, focus on tracks that are valuable to our users and increase the market share for all artists who create this music,” Folgueira told MBW. “The tracks that have been removed include noise, mono-track albums, fake artists and tracks that haven’t been listened to in the past 12 months.”

Source: Deezer has deleted 26m ‘useless’ tracks since it launched artist-centric model with Universal Music Group

HarbourView Equity Partners Scores $500 Million Debt Financing

HarbourView Equity Partners has secured $500 million in debt financing to fuel further song-rights acquisitions. KKR led the financing, which likewise drew participation from Kuvare Asset Management, per HarbourView. “We are grateful to KKR for working with us to deliver a flexible and innovative financing structure that will support HarbourView in expanding its reach,” HarbourView founder and head Sherrese Clarke Soares said.

Source: HarbourView Equity Partners Scores $500 Million Debt Financing

What will the EU’s proposed act to regulate AI mean for consumers?

The bill matters outside the EU because Brussels is an influential tech regulator, as shown by GDPR’s impact on the management of people’s data. The AI act could do the same. “Many other countries will be watching what happens in the EU following the adoption of the AI act. The EU approach will likely only be copied if it is shown to work,” Couneson added.

Source: What will the EU’s proposed act to regulate AI mean for consumers?

As EU AI Act passes, rightsholders urge ‘meaningful and effective’ enforcement of copyright

The EU law requires developers of “general purpose AI” (GPAI) models to keep track of and disclose what content is used in training. It further states that “any use of copyright protected content requires the authorization of the [rights holder] concerned, unless relevant copyright exceptions and limitations apply.” “Crucially, this appears to apply even if the training was carried out in another more lenient jurisdiction,” said Jonathan Coote, a music and AI lawyer at UK law firm Bray & Krais.

Source: As landmark AI Act passes EU parliament vote, rightsholders urge ‘meaningful and effective’ enforcement of copyright

‘No NFT-Specific Legislation’ Required, US PTO and Copyright Office Study Concludes

A comprehensive 112-page study conducted jointly by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the U.S. Copyright Office has determined that existing intellectual property laws are sufficient to address concerns regarding copyright and trademark infringement related to non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

Source: “No NFT-Specific Legislation Required, Current Copyright Laws Sufficient, U.S. Government Study Finds”

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