Royalties in the digital art market have become a hot-button topic since several NFT marketplaces, including LooksRare and Magic Eden, made paying royalties to artists optional. If you ask Jacob Horne, co-founder of the NFT and DAO platform Zora, things are headed in the wrong direction. “Royalties were one of the most compelling features of crypto to artists coming into the space,” Horne said, “because that’s been such a long-standing problem in the traditional art world or music world or any creative art form.”
Source: Artist Royalties Are Among ‘Most Compelling Features of Crypto’: Zora Co-Founder – Decrypt
There is nothing soft and cuddly about the way Disney protects the characters it brings to life. For the first time, however, one of Disney’s marquee characters — Mickey himself — is set to enter the public domain. “Steamboat Willie,” the 1928 short film that introduced Mickey to the world, will lose copyright protection in the United States and a few other countries at the end of next year, prompting fans, copyright experts and potential Mickey grabbers to wonder: How is the notoriously litigious Disney going to respond?
Despite hiccups, the NFT market continues to expand as we move into 2023. The NFT market is even projected to reach more than $230 billion by 2030. But with the swift rise comes numerous obstacles. Minting an NFT for a virtual asset containing artwork, a song, or trademarks that creators no longer own or have a valid license can land them severe legal trouble.
The U.S. Copyright Office has completed its public consultations on the use of technical measures to identify and protect copyrighted content online. The inquiries triggered responses from a wide variety of stakeholders, both for and against tools such as ‘upload filters’. The Office cautions lawmakers against drastic decisions and sees more benefit in small tweaks and voluntary agreements.
Macroeconomic headwinds have blown multiple issues in the music industry’s direction this year, from soaring interest rates to rising inflation, plus the strength of the US dollar’s impact on global markets. But the rights acquisition space hasn’t ground to a halt. In fact, two prominent names in the rights acquisition space, that both became famous for listing funds on the London Stock Exchange – Hipgnosis and Round Hill Music – have been associated with $500 million worth of deals between them in 2022.