The adult site is facing new obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA), including strict requirements on age verification. The new rules apply to what the EU designates a Very large Online Platform (VLOP) – which Pornhub says it is not. “We believe the European Commission erred in its calculation of our user numbers”, the firm said. To be designated a VLOP, a site needs to be visited by more than 45 million Europeans on average every month – a threshold the EU says Pornhub meets.
Marketplace
Europe Enters New Era of Tech Regulation With Digital Markets Act
It will be months, if not years, before the usefulness and the unintended consequences of the EU legislation will become clear, but already the DMA has forced tech giants, from Alphabet to TikTok, to change how they operate in the EU or face the threat of hefty fines. First-time DMA offenders can be penalized up to 10 percent of their company’s total worldwide turnover.
Source: Europe Enters New Era of Tech Regulation With Digital Markets Act
The music industry’s over-reliance on TikTok shows how lazy it has become
TikTok’s relationship with the music industry was never sustainable. As many digital media outlets realised in the mid-2010s, when they “pivoted to video” in an attempt to placate Facebook’s algorithm, only for the bottom to fall out of that platform, it’s never wise to place the fate of an entire industry in the hands of a private company whose motivations and modes of operation are opaque at best. Big stars who have built-in fanbases won’t be profoundly affected by their music being off TikTok, but new stars will.
Source: The music industry’s over-reliance on TikTok shows how lazy it has become | Shaad D’Souza
Why Musicians Are Doubling Down on an Unlikely Venue to Reach New Listeners
Artists are signing deals with game companies to debut new songs through interactive events and as background music for games themselves, in some cases weeks before those tracks are released on the likes of Spotify. Artists are also selling virtual goods featuring their likenesses and music for players’ avatars.
Source: Why Musicians Are Doubling Down on an Unlikely Venue to Reach New Listeners
Hollywood Takeover: Documentary Exposes China’s Grip on Film Industry
In an eye-opening examination, Hollywood Takeover: China’s Control in the Film Industry delves into the complex relationship between Hollywood and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), revealing how China’s influence has shaped the content and narrative of mainstream movies. The documentary highlights instances where Hollywood studios have altered films to cater to the CCP’s preferences, often at the cost of creative freedom and authenticity.
Source: Hollywood Takeover: Documentary Exposes China’s Grip on Film Indus…
Spotify Launches $9.99 Audiobook Subscription Tier
Spotify has added a new audiobook subscription tier, dubbed the Audiobooks Access Tier, offering a slightly less expensive but more limited option for users interested in streaming audiobooks on the platform. The new plan knocks down Premium prices by a dollar, to $9.99, and offers the same 15 hours of listening, but without ad-free music streaming options.
AI ‘dream girls’ are coming for porn stars’ jobs
Since the first AVN “expo,” in 1998, adult entertainment has been overtaken by two business models: Pornhub, a free site supported by ads, and OnlyFans, a subscription platform where individual actors control their businesses and their fate. Now, a new shift is on the horizon: artificial intelligence models that spin up photorealistic images and videos that put viewers in the director’s chair.
American Federation of Musicians Reaches Tentative Deal with AMPTP
The American Federation of Musicians has struck a tentative agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, reaching a deal that union leaders hailed as “a watershed moment for artists” that includes residuals for made-for-streaming content and protections against the use of AI. The AFM announced the tentative agreement one day after the sides resumed contract negotiations that began in January.
Disney Has the Biggest Library of Desirable Titles as Licensing Becomes Increasingly Important in Streaming Survival
Exclusivity of content was great for attracting new subscribers, but investors on Wall Street are not solely concerned with subscriber totals any longer, and now streamers are realizing that easy money is there for the taking if they license some titles to other outlets.
Digital watermarks combined with AI will speed up copyright infringement cases: Study
The technology would enhance the assessment of data about potential breaches and make it easier for lawsuits to be be brought. It will also lead to more evidence being available to the courts. But the increasing use of watermarking—which makes it easier to detect copying—and AI is also likely to mean a proliferation of small-scale disputes, experts have warned.
Source: Digital watermarks combined with AI will speed up copyright infringement cases, study says