August, 2019

Peloton Wants to ‘Sell Happiness’ With IPO, But Faces Serious Music Licensing Risks

Among Peloton’s biggest risk factors for continued growth? Its ability — or inability — to secure licenses for the music used in its workout videos. Peloton forms agreements with record labels, music publishers, performing rights organizations, artists and other copyright owners for those rights — a complex and time-consuming process that leaves Peloton vulnerable to the financial demands of rightsholders.

Source: Peloton Wants to ‘Sell Happiness’ With IPO, But Faces Serious Music Licensing Risks

Online Copyright Enforcement Is Not Just About “Artists” 

What if you heeded the wisdom of the academics, tech pundits, and internet billionaires and launched a venture that channels your creative work as merchandise? In other words, what if the way you sell your art is literally as tee shirts?  Do the tech companies who promised you the opportunity of low-cost entry support this venture by facilitating the enforcement of your intellectual property? Meh.

Source: Online Copyright Enforcement Is Not Just About “Artists” – The Illusion of More

Will AI revolutionize the way artists make music and find samples? LANDR says yes…

LANDR works with over 2.5 million artists, songwriters, composers, producers, engineers and labels from 160 countries around the world. Now, the firm is aiming to cause yet another major disruption with the launch of an AI-based sample recommendation service – the first of its kind, says LANDR, and one that will completely revolutionize the way artists make music.

Source: Will AI revolutionize the way artists make music and find samples? LANDR says yes…

Bibliotheca Calls Out Amazon for Meddling in the Library E-book Market

For more than a year now, one of the worst kept secrets in the publishing world has been that Amazon shares information with publishers and authors that allegedly paints library e-book lending in a negative light. But in a message sent to library customers on August 27, Tom Mercer, senior v-p of digital products for library e-book vendor Bibliotheca, urged librarians to recognize and take that practice seriously, and to confront the challenges Amazon poses to libraries in the digital realm.

Source: Bibliotheca Calls Out Amazon for Meddling in the Library E-book Market

Netflix will release 10 fall films in theaters before they stream

Netflix is planning 10 fall movies with exclusive theatrical release windows ahead of their online release for subscribers. The list includes Steven Soderbergh’s The Laundromat, which will premiere September 7th in theaters before making its way to the streaming service on October 18th, and Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story, which will be in theaters exclusively for a month on November 6th before hitting Netflix on December 6th.

Source: Netflix will release 10 fall films in theaters before they stream

NMPA Questions Whether Spotify & Amazon Have Miscalculated, Underpaid Publisher Royalties

The National Music Publishers Association is challenging Spotify and Amazon’s methods of determining mechanical royalties, putting into question whether the services are underpaying publishers. On Tuesday (Aug. 27), the NMPA sent letters to both companies seeking more information on how they are applying various components of the Copyright Royalty Board’s three-tier rate formula.

Source: NMPA Questions Whether Spotify & Amazon Have Miscalculated, Underpaid Publisher Royalties

Hipgnosis Songs Fund raises another $63m, taking acquisition warchest above $500m to date

Hipgnosis and its Investment Adviser, The Family (Music) Limited, has confirmed that the company has successfully raised approximately £51.1m ($62.8m) at a price of 105.5 pence per share, principally from existing shareholders. These newly snapped-up shared represent 12.4% of the firm’s Ordinary Share capital.

Source: Hipgnosis Songs Fund raises another $63m, taking acquisition warchest above $500m to date

Get the latest RightsTech news and analysis delivered directly in your inbox every week
We respect your privacy.