Source: Digital authentication opens new doors for art, sports collectors
March, 2021
OverDrive CEO: Publishers, Librarians Still Searching for Fair E-book Lending Models
In a post this week, OverDrive CEO Steve Potash said he was proud of some of the “incremental gains” made in the library e-book market in 2020 but insisted that the work of establishing “fair, flexible, and reasonable terms” for libraries and schools to acquire and lend digital content is far from over.
Source: OverDrive CEO: Publishers, Librarians Still Searching for Fair E-book Lending Models
‘US Government Should Protect the Public from Copyright Extremes’
The Re:Create Coalition has sent a letter to the new US Congress, warning lawmakers that heavy-handed copyright policies can do more harm than good. The group wants to keep current DMCA safe harbors in place but encourages penalties for abusive and fraudulent takedown notices. In addition, copyright law should be amended to prevent Internet disconnections based on one-sided piracy accusations.
Source: ‘US Government Should Protect the Public from Copyright Extremes’ * TorrentFreak
Google says publishers don’t want collective bargaining
Media execs in the United States want to know what Google’s publisher partnerships in Australia and other countries might mean for their own future negotiations. While emerging details about how Google compensates publishers offer some clues, from the looks of things, it could be slow-going and contentious.
Source: Google says publishers don’t want collective bargaining
Universal launches Queen game, developed by Vivendi-owned Gameloft
Iconic British rock band Queen have launched their first ever official game for Android and iOS devices, called Queen: Rock Tour. The play-along rhythm game was created in association with Universal Music Group, Hollywood Records and developed by Vivendi-owned Gameloft for brands.
Source: Universal launches Queen game, developed by Vivendi-owned Gameloft
Court Dismisses Wixen Music’s $50 Million Infringement Suit Against Triller
In November, Wixen Music Publishing filed a $50 million copyright infringement lawsuit against short-form video app (and fast-growing TikTok competitor) Triller. Now, a federal judge has dismissed the complaint in part because it’s unclear “whether the 1976 Act or the Copyright Act of 1909 applies” to the allegedly infringed works.
Source: Court Dismisses Wixen Music’s $50 Million Infringement Suit Against Triller
US Recorded Music Revenue Surpassed $12B in 2020: RIAA
Economic downturn brought on by the pandemic couldn’t stop the U.S. music industry from its fifth consecutive year of growth as revenue increased 9.2% to $12.15 billion in 2020 from the prior year’s $11.13 billion total, according the RIAA’s year-end revenue report released Friday (Feb. 26).
Source: US Recorded Music Revenue Surpassed $12B in 2020: RIAA
Who Is Still Buying VHS Tapes?
The last VCR, according to Dave Rodriguez, 33, a digital repository librarian at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Fla., was produced in 2016, by the Funai Electric in Osaka, Japan. But the VHS tape itself may be immortal. Today, a robust marketplace exists, both virtually and in real life, for this ephemera.
Source: Who Is Still Buying VHS Tapes?