The European Union’s advocate general Maciej Szpunar this month issued an opinion in a case involving the resale of e-books, in which he concludes that the practice is unlawful under the currently applicable statutes and directives. Although the advocate’s opinion is not binding on the European Court of Justice, the EU’s highest tribunal, it would be unusual for the court to reach a dramatically different conclusion.
Source: E-Book 451
As alleged in court papers filed on Friday morning, the major broadcasters including ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox are purposely broadcasting weak over-the-air signals to the public as part of a conspiracy to limit consumer access to popular programming including local news and live sports and force Americans to pay for cable or satellite service.
Source: Locast Accuses the Major Broadcasters of Antitrust Violations
In the wake of changes to Canada’s fair use copyright laws, Access Copyright, the company tasked with collecting fees for content licensing in Canada, has seen revenue from reuse rights decline steadily for several years running. In reaction, Access Copyright has poured resources into Prescient Innovation, an affiliated company that has been working on blockchain solutions for publishing.
After a 90-minute hearing on September 25, a federal judge is considering whether to issue a preliminary injunction barring Audible, the Amazon-owned seller and producer of digital audiobooks, from including the works of seven publishers in its controversial Captions program while a copyright infringement lawsuit over the program is litigated.
ASCAP has launched the Advanced Research & Innovation Initiative to explore how advanced technologies, new business approaches and creative collaborations can drive value for its music creator members and music consumers. The new program will help to identify and develop new areas of growth and efficiency through technology accelerators, prototyping research projects, cross-pollination with the startup community, and knowledge-sharing through a bi-monthly speaker series.
Source: ASCAP Launches Research & Innovation Initiative With Startup Summits, Speaker Series, More
Apple is looking to make a splash in Hollywood by bringing feature-length films to theaters before releasing them on its streaming TV service. The company has made overtures to cinema chains and consulted with an entertainment executive as it pursues a traditional theatrical-release plan that would keep its movies in theaters for weeks before becoming available on Apple TV+.
Source: WSJ News Exclusive | Apple Plans to Bring Feature-Length Films to Theaters
A new survey conducted by Broadband Genie shows that piracy will surge if content is spread out across more streaming subscription services. In part due to increasing costs, the number of UK streaming subscribers who “pirate” on the side is set to double.
Source: Piracy will Surge if More Legal Streaming Services Launch, Research Shows – TorrentFreak
Having watched Netflix’s mushrooming global domination, the likes of Disney, HBO, Amazon, and Apple are all now really taking the fight to the market leader. One of their key weapons in doing so contrasts sharply with music’s global model, but might hint at a lucrative future opportunity for the major record companies.
Source: The Record Industry Gave Everything Away to Spotify. Could It Change Its Mind?
The major movie and music companies and their lobbyists in Washington have a long history of laundering controversial or unpopular copyright policies that they can’t get through Congress through trade agreements or international treaties instead. In the case of the revised U.S.-Canada-Mexico free trade agreement (NAFTA 2.0) now awaiting congressional approval, however, the movie and music companies have suddenly reversed tactics and are trying to get copyright-related language removed from the agreement.
Source: Trading places
Taking aim squarely at Soundcloud, Audius has launched the public beta of its free decentralized audio streaming platform that directly connects artists and fans. DJs like deadmau5 and Zed’s Dead are already backing the platform which has attracted $5.5 million in venture capital.
Source: Audius Launches To Replace Soundcloud with Free Decentralized Platform, $5.5M War Chest