Apple was fined 500 million euros ($570 million) and Meta was fined €200 million ($230 million) for breaking the Digital Markets Act, which was adopted in 2022. The European law aims to keep big tech companies from abusing their position as digital gatekeepers that can unilaterally impose requirements on users and businesses.
Source: Apple and Meta Are First to Be Hit by E.U. Digital Competition Law
The remedy phase of Google’s antitrust trial is underway, with the government angling to realign Google’s business after the company was ruled a search monopolist. The Department of Justice is seeking a plethora of penalties, but perhaps none as severe as forcing Google to sell Chrome. But who would buy it? An OpenAI executive says his employer would be interested.
Source: OpenAI wants to buy Chrome and make it an “AI-first” experience
The Washington Post, owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, has gone into business with artificial-intelligence powerhouse OpenAI. Under the agreement, ChatGPT will display summaries, quotes and links to original reporting from the Washington Post in response to relevant search queries. ChatGPT will featur the Post’s content across politics, global affairs, business, technology and more, “always with clear attribution and direct links to full articles,” the newspaper said.
Source: Jeff Bezos’ Washington Post Inks OpenAI Licensing Deal for ChatGPT Search
With generative AI forging ahead unfettered, leaders in publishing and other creative industries are asking for licensing frameworks that protect creators while enabling technological innovation. New platforms and software are bringing solutions closer. Vered Horesh, chief of strategic AI partnerships at the visual generative AI company Bria.ai described how Bria developed attribution technology that “measures the impact of any authentic asset being provided into the training catalog on any synthetic output being generated.”
Source: As Industry Demands AI Licensing Frameworks, Emerging Tech Can Help
Disc Makers CEO Tony van Veen calculated the ballpark royalties impact of Spotify’s 1,000-stream minimum during 2024. Last year, the exec estimated, emerging talent missed out on about $47 million in would-be recording royalties. On cue, Spotify fired back – including by arguing in more words that the affected tracks receive a small amount of fan interest and (owing mainly to withdrawal minimums) wouldn’t see their recording royalties reach artists in any event.
Source: Spotify Stream Minimum Debate Continues As Exec Claps Back
Films made with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) will be able to win top awards at the Oscars, according to its organizers. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences issued new rules on Monday which said the use of AI and other digital tools would “neither help nor harm the chances of achieving a nomination”.
According to one music industry exec’s estimate, the controversial Spotify stream minimum cost emerging artists $47 million during 2024. As many know, that approach sees Spotify pay recording royalties only for tracks with at least 1,000 annual streams. Implemented (along with other changes) at the behest of the majors, the revamped model is effectively preventing the vast majority of uploaded recordings from generating payments.
Source: Spotify Stream Minimum Cost Indies $47M in 2024, Exec Estimates
According to the announcement on Thursday (April 17), the strategic capital raise includes “a structured capital facility” co-led by Northleaf Capital Partners and Ares Management funds, as well as “separately raised leverage”. Additional terms of the private transaction were not disclosed. Goldstate’s new backerAres Management Corporation is a giant of the alternative investment space.
Global streaming platform Deezer has reported that over 20,000 entirely AI-generated tracks — or around 18% of all tracks — are uploaded to its platform daily. That’s an increase from the previously reported 10% in January, when Deezer launched its cutting-edge AI music detection tool. The company’s AI music detection tool sets an industry standard — but the onslaught of AI-generated music is unrelenting.
Source: Deezer Says 20,000 AI-Generated Songs Are Uploaded Daily
The UK Government’s proposal to allow AI companies to automatically train their models on online content unless the rightsholder specifically opts out has been described as “unworkable”. A range of responses to the Government consultation on its proposed change to the existing copyright regime have been published, with many slamming the potential effect on the media industry.
Source: ‘Unsustainable status quo’: AI companies and publishers respond to Govt copyright consultation