Policy

Labels settle copyright lawsuit against Internet Archive 

Major record labels including Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment have reached a confidential settlement with the nonprofit Internet Archive, ending a two-year legal battle over its digitization and streaming of vintage vinyl recordings. The parties filed a joint notice in California federal court on Monday (September 15), requesting that Judge Maxine Chesney pause all case deadlines while they complete the settlement terms.

Source: Labels settle copyright lawsuit against Internet Archive over streaming of vintage vinyl records

Trump’s Man With a Plan in Hollywood Opens Up

Producer and manager Steven Paul says the president “loves” the entertainment business. Enough to push Congress for a federal incentive? Maybe. As Jon Voight’s longtime manager and business partner, Paul, perhaps best known as one of the minds behind the 1999 comedy Baby Geniuses, has become an unlikely go-between for Hollywood and the White House.

Source: Trump’s Man With a Plan in Hollywood Opens Up

ISPs Rally in Cox Communications v. Sony Supreme Court Battle

Multiple internet providers and related organizations are weighing in on the high-stakes Cox Communications v. Sony Supreme Court battle. Grande Communications and Altice USA just recently submitted briefs of their own, joining the U.S. government, all manner of tech giants, Twitter/X, the ACLU, the EFF, and a variety of others. It probably doesn’t need saying in light of this list or the forum, but there’s quite a lot riding on the decision for the involved parties.

Source: ISPs Rally in Cox Communications v. Sony Supreme Court Battle

Rolling Stone owner Penske Media sues Google over AI summaries 

Google faces a new lawsuit accusing the company of illegally using news publishers’ content to create AI summaries that damage their business. The lawsuit comes from Penske Media Corporation (PMC), which owns industry publications such as Rolling Stone, Billboard, Variety, Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, Vibe, and Artforum.

Source: Rolling Stone owner Penske Media sues Google over AI summaries | TechCrunch

On Appeal, Copyright Chief Shira Perlmutter Keeps Her Job

By the order of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, Shira Perlmutter remains the register of copyrights and the director of the U.S. Copyright Office, despite the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to oust her. Circuit judges Florence Y. Pan and J. Michelle Childs concurred that Perlmutter may stay in her role for now. Circuit judge Justin R. Walker dissented.

Source: On Appeal, Copyright Chief Shira Perlmutter Keeps Her Job

A False Confidence in the EU AI Act: Epistemic Gaps and Bureaucratic Traps

Crucially, the term “general-purpose AI” (GPAI) did not emerge from within the AI research community. It is a legal construct introduced by the EU AI Act to retroactively define certain types of AI systems. Prior to this, ‘GPAI’ had little to no presence in scholarly discourse. The Act not only assigned a regulatory meaning to the term, but also effectively created a new category – one that risks distorting how such systems are actually understood and developed in practice.

Source: A False Confidence in the EU AI Act: Epistemic Gaps and Bureaucratic Traps | TechPolicy.Press

European Commission EVP Henna Virkkunen Talks Trump, Streamers, and AI

Henna Virkkunen, EVP of the European Commission responsible for tech sovereignty, security and democracy, is upbeat about the E.U.’s ties with the U.S. when it comes to the media and entertainment sectors. Virkkunen underlined the need “to make sure that we have a level playing field,” noting that the EU’s creative sector “is facing many challenges” with the onset of “digitalization and very big online platforms.”

Source: European Commission EVP Henna Virkkunen Talks Trump, Streamers, and AI: ‘Nobody Can Do Business With Other People’s Work Without Compensating It’

Google admits the open web is in ‘rapid decline’

For months, Google has maintained that the web is “thriving,” AI isn’t tanking traffic, and its search engine is sending people to a wider variety of websites than ever. But in a court filing from last week, Google admitted that “the open web is already in rapid decline.”  Google submitted the filing ahead of another trial that will determine how it will address its monopoly in the advertising technology business.

Source: Google admits the open web is in ‘rapid decline’

Apple Sued by Authors for Copyright Infringement

Apple is the latest tech company to be hit with a proposed class action lawsuit over unauthorized training of AI models using published books. On Friday, authors Grady Hendrix and Jennifer Roberson filed a lawsuit in Northern California targeting Apple’s “OpenELM” large language models, alleging the company “copied protected works without consent and without credit or compensation.” T

Source: Apple Sued by Authors for Copyright Infringement

SoundExchange Officially Appealing Its Loss Against SiriusXM

US-based royalty rights org SoundExchange has filed an appeal following its devastating loss in a lawsuit against SiriusXM stemming from allegedly unpaid royalties. Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York dismissed the PRO’s lawsuit against SiriusXM last month, ruling that Congress never granted it authority to file lawsuits on behalf of rights holders for whom it collects royalties.

Source: SoundExchange Officially Appealing Its Loss Against SiriusXM

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