“It’s entirely possible that in two years we’ll have clarity that’s probably good enough in terms of a set of best practices,” estimated Jessica Litman. But she warned it could be longer, “because these cases are so huge, they are happening in dribs and drabs… so it can take a while to establish a trend.” She said it could be as many as 10 more years until these lawsuits are resolved.
Source: Lawyers Warn of a Decade of Uncertainty over AI Copyright
The creators of a new technology have always sold it as producing a fundamental transformation of human existence. The radio was touted as bringing “perpetual peace on earth.” Television was supposed to arouse so much empathy for different cultures that it would end war. Cable television would educate the masses and lead to widespread enlightenment. This time, though, the masses have not been won over.
Source: People Loved the Dot-Com Boom. The A.I. Boom, Not So Much.
The past couple of years have increasingly felt like I’m writing a slow-moving, multi-part obituary for television as most of us knew it. The television that involves real sets being built, fully staffed writers rooms, series regulars, dozens of recurring and guest roles, attention spent on production value handled by below-the-line pros and an audience of millions of viewers who regularly tune in on a weekly basis.
Physical media was a cash cow for movie studios, who could sell a single film to the same consumer multiple times. Let’s say you loved The Lion King in a world before streaming: you might be paying Disney for a movie ticket, a VHS tape, a DVD, a Blu-ray, and now a 4K disc. That’s at least $100 of Lion King spending. Many films enjoyed active second lives on DVD and VHS, with hit titles grossing over $500M in additional revenue for Hollywood studios.
Source: The Rise, Fall, and (Slight) Rise of DVDs: A Statistical Analysis
Google announced on Wednesday that it’s adding a music-generation feature to the Gemini app. To use the feature, you’ll describe the song you want to create, and the app will generate a track along with lyrics. For instance, you could ask Gemini to create a “comical R&B slow jam about a sock finding its match,” and the app will generate a 30-second track along with cover art made by Nano Banana.
Source: Google adds music-generation capabilities to the Gemini app | TechCrunch
The deal establishes EVEN as a direct-to-fan resource for UMG, providing the major’s labels and artists with “turnkey” tools for engaging superfans through early access to music, exclusive content, and community features. The agreement will also allow UMG artists to offer physical music and merchandise through EVEN using UMG’s global D2C, vinyl, and merch infrastructure.
Source: Universal Music strikes deal with superfan platform EVEN to power D2C sales for artists worldwide
The Times, as the nation’s leading newspaper, is unique, and the extent to which other publishers can learn from its example is limited. But if Bezos ever decides he wants to take journalism seriously again, then he might take a look at a handful of large regional papers that have charted a route to sustainability against the strong headwinds that continue to buffet the news business.
Source: The US regional dailies proving news can pay despite Washington Post challenges
Throw a frog in a pot of boiling water and it will instantly jump out, terrified (and very hot). But put it in a pot of cool water and slowly increase the heat to boiling and it will stay there until it dies. Gruesome? Yes. But a useful analogy for the music industry? Also ‘yes.’ Crucially, the cultural costs were neither as visible nor impactful at the start, instead creeping up over time until suddenly they became the fault lines of today’s business.
As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly involved in art, ethical and societal concerns have emerged about AI’s place in creative work. “The capitalist era that we live in favors efficiency over artistic merit,” third-year art student Josue Herrera said. Depending on the intricacy of the prompt, the AI model, the size of the creation and other factors, AI can generate a piece of artwork anywhere from a few seconds to a few hours. Meanwhile, digital creators can take months to finish a piece.
Source: ‘Efficiency over artistic merit’: The crossover between art and artificial intelligence
Amazon joins Microsoft, which recently launched Publisher Content Marketplace, in developing platforms to allow publishers to license content and be paid-per-use, rather than by offering an blanket, up-front fee. The two tech giants are not operating in a vacuum, as a variety of companies have been racing to establish their their own licensing platforms.