Today, Hanson Robotics and iv gallery announced they will launch a series of NFTs based on artwork from Sophia the Robot, an AI-driven humanoid robot with a large social media following and a ”Tonight Show” appearance on its resume. The artwork will drop on March 23 via Gemini’s Nifty Gateway platform.
Source: Sophia the Robot Joins NFT Craze With AI-Driven Crypto Artwork – Decrypt
DC Comics, the owner of Batman and Superman, is reportedly considering a move into non-fungible tokens—after superhero NFTs sell for millions. According to a letter penned by Jay Kogan, senior vice president of legal affairs at DC Comics, the company is “exploring opportunities to enter the market,” for NFTs, noting that the cryptographically-unique tokens are “becoming the newest fan collectibles and have generated significant press and buzz.”
Source: Batman Publisher DC Comics Explores Entering NFT Market – Decrypt
Along with the money and hype, the NFT craze has spurred a debate over what it means to own digital property, and the role of copyright on the Internet. Some suggest NFTs might soothe long-running tensions between creators and tech platforms—while others point out the trend has already given rise to new forms of piracy and rip-offs.
Source: The NFT Craze Offers Easy Money—And Hard Copyright Questions – Decrypt
The streaming service built its massive subscriber base through exclusive original content like “Stranger Things” and “The Queen’s Gambit” and by licensing content like “The Office” from legacy media companies. However, according to The Information, Netflix is looking into a strategy reversal of sorts that would see the company license its movies and shows to companies like ViacomCBS and NBCUniversal.
In the wake of rising TV/movie content production — especially for needy streaming platforms — what happens to the big legacy TV revenue-producing licensing revenue? With major efforts to promote homegrown premium video platforms — which can be easily exported internationally — what does this mean for TV networks/stations looking for individual pieces of programming content around the world?
Source: TV Watch: As Streaming Accelerates, Will Traditional Licensing Deals Change?
The interview kicked off with CEO Geoff Taylor expressing broad support for the parliamentary inquiry into streaming economics’ impact – “a positive opportunity for some of these much-debated issues to get aired, and to hear viewpoints from right across the industry” – but also expressing his fear that the recommendations of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) committee which is holding it may include “policy interventions that won’t work, or could be counterintuitive or do more harm than good”..
Source: BPI boss talks artists, labels, streaming and equitable remuneration
A bipartisan pair of legislators have introduced a bill that would eliminate some “outdated” regulations including the must carry-retransmission consent regime that broadcasters use to secure payments from MVPDs for their local programming/signals and the compulsory copyright license.
Source: New Bill Would Kill Retrans Regime, Compulsory License
Interactive entertainment brand Atari has entered into a strategic partnership with Bondly, an e-commerce platform for digital assets, to launch NFTs across gaming, music and other areas. Bondly is the e-commerce company behind recent lucrative entertainment brand initiatives for the likes of Logan Paul, Tory Lanez and PelleK.
A few days ago, several domains of the popular ebook repository ZLibrary became inaccessible. The ‘suspensions’ were handed down by the site’s Chinese registrar, following copyright complaints from Harvard. The ‘shadow library’, which also allows researchers to bypass academic paywalls, remained available through backup domains. To its surprise, the suspensions were soon lifted as well.
Source: ZLibrary Domains Were ‘Temporarily’ Suspended Over Copyright Infringement Claims * TorrentFreak
A broad coalition of more than 350 leaders of Hollywood’s creative community has sent a letter to every member of the newly installed Congress asking for a stronger American copyright system. Among other actions, the letter from CreativeFuture implored the Senate and U.S. House of Representatives to hold internet companies accountable for the widespread presence of illicit content on their platforms.
Source: Hollywood Coalition Asks Congress to Strengthen Copyright Laws