Universal sells Curve Royalty Systems to Merlin and Matt Spetzler’s Jamen Capital

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Universal Music Group and its subsidiary Virgin Music Group have agreed to sell Curve Royalty Systems to Jamen Capital and Merlin. The sale is the divestment that the European Commission required as a condition of clearing Universal Music Group‘s $775 million acquisition of Downtown Music Holdings in February. It paves the way for Curve, the royalty processing platform used by thousands of record labels, distributors and publishers, to operate as an independent business again.

Source: Universal sells Curve Royalty Systems to Merlin and Matt Spetzler’s Jamen Capital

Google Launches ‘Search Profiles’ for Creators and Companies

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Google is introducing a new way for creators and publishers to promote their content on the search engine with “Search profiles.” The new feature comes amid consternation from website operators and creators that Google’s AI summaries have eroded the volume of referral traffic coming from the search portal. The internet giant describes Search profiles as a “dedicated, shareable space to highlight content across platforms.”

Source: Google Launches ‘Search Profiles’ for Creators and Companies

Artists, Labels and PROs Seek Changes to DMCA

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Musicians, including Katy Perry and Billy Joel, sent a petition earlier this year to the U.S. Copyright Office to amend the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Now there’s an open letter to Congress signed by stars like Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift and U2 expressing a similar sentiment. Music labels like Sony Music and Universal Music Group have also endorsed the letter, which will be featured in ads on political websites like Politico and The Hill.

Source: Artists, Labels and PROs Seek Changes to DMCA

Sony Invests in AI Copyright-Protection Firm Midnight Labs

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Midnight Labs, an AI company focused on intellectual property protection in the entertainment industry, has secured an investment from Sony’s Innovation Fund to help bolster its efforts to combat piracy and deepfakes plaguing entertainment companies and content creators in the U.S. and Japan. The company — which is based in Dublin, Tokyo and San Francisco — says its automated enforcement tools have removed more than 2.8 billion pieces of infringement content, including those that’ve been generated by AI.

Source: Sony Invests in AI Copyright-Protection Firm Midnight Labs

SAG-AFTRA Members Approve Four-Year Deal With AI Terms and Pension Merger

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SAG-AFTRA members have ratified a four-year contract with the major studios, which includes new provisions on synthetic actors and a merger of the union’s two pension funds. The contract allows producers to use AI performers only if they bring “significant additional value” compared to a live actor or that actor’s digital avatar. The union has argued that the language — coupled with an arbitration provision — will limit the use of AI replicas to a handful of edge cases.

Source: SAG-AFTRA Members Approve Four-Year Deal With AI Terms and Pension Merger

Producer royalty company mprs is now buying producer catalogs

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mprs, the rights management company focused on producer and mixer royalties, is expanding into producer catalog acquisitions. Milk & Honey has signed up to partner in the new acquisition vehicle, while advising on M&A opportunities in the market. Founded in 2021, mprs – pronounced ‘Empress‘ – was spun out of artist management and services company mtheory when Universal Music Group acquired mtheory’s label division.

Source: Producer royalty company mprs is now buying producer catalogs

Canada walks back plan to make US streamers pay a bigger Canadian-content levy

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The Government of Canada has directed the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to review its decision requiring large audiovisual streaming services to devote 15% of their domestic revenue to Canadian content. It will invest CAD $600 million (USD $432m) per year in the country’s audio and audiovisual sectors instead.

Source: Canada walks back plan to make US streamers pay a bigger Canadian-content levy

A bill moving through Congress could change who controls the US Copyright Office

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At present, the Register of Copyrights is appointed by the Librarian of Congress and answers to that office. H.R. 6028 would break that link. The bill would remove the US Copyright Office from the Library of Congress‘s supervisory authority. The Register would instead be nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate, serving a term of 10 years with the option of reappointment.

Source: A bill moving through Congress could change who controls the US Copyright Office

What do UK watchdog’s new rules on Google AI results mean for publishers?

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The CMA hopes this will give publishers greater leverage in content deals with Google, by forcing the company to seek permission to use their intellectual property. The CMA will wait to see how its first wave of interventions pan out before it decides whether to act further. This announcement at least signals a direction of travel.

Source: What do UK watchdog’s new rules on Google AI results mean for publishers?

Copyright Office Reups The MLC’s designation as the statutory Mechanical Licensing Collective

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The US Register of Copyrights has continued the designation of The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) as the statutory collective responsible for administering the blanket compulsory mechanical license for eligible streaming and download services in the United States. The decision follows the Register‘s first periodic review of The MLC‘s designation, as required by the Music Modernization Act (MMA).

Source: Copyright Office reups The MLC’s designation as the statutory Mechanical Licensing Collective

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