Rights

In a lawsuit filed in December, PRS for Music alleges LIVENow concerts lacked the correct licensing, including the Dua Lipa “Studio 2054” online event, which took place in November 2020. The event sold 285,000 tickets and attracted 5 million viewers. Gavin Larkins, Director of Commercial Development, PRS for Music, said in a statement that, “no PRS member has been paid for the use of their songs in this event, or the other concerts held by LIVENow”.

Source: PRS for Music sues platform behind record-breaking Dua Lipa livestream for alleged lack of licenses

Warner Bros. Discovery is exploring a sale for its music assets that could be worth upwards of $1 billion in a deal being shopped by Allen Grubman. Universal Music Group (UMG) already administers the publishing assets, which are likely the largest part of the deal, and Warner Music Group (WMG) distributes WaterTower Music, Warner Bros. Discovery’s in-house record label.

Source: Warner Bros. Discovery Exploring Sale of Music Assets

John Fogerty announced the music-IP buyout today, indicating that the transaction covers “a majority interest of the worldwide publishing rights” to the historic CCR song catalog. “As of this January, I own my own songs again,” Berkeley-born Fogerty said of his deal with Concord. “This is something I thought would never be a possibility. After 50 years, I am finally reunited with my songs.”

Source: John Fogerty Buys Back Creedence Clearwater Revival Catalog

Sir Lucian Grainge, Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group, has said the way music streaming services pay labels and artists today has to change. “There is a growing disconnect between, on the one hand, the devotion to those artists whom fans value and seek to support and, on the other, the way subscription fees are paid by the platforms. Under the current model, the critical contributions of too many artists, as well as the engagement of too many fans, are undervalued.”

Source: Sir Lucian Grainge: Music needs a new streaming payout model… and we’re working on it.

For years, Big Radio has followed the same cynical formula. Convince lawmakers to sign on to a symbolic, non-binding resolution that labels performance royalties – otherwise known as payments to artists for their hard work – as a “tax.” Then have the audacity to insist that music creators accept the no-payments status quo as “mutually beneficial.” And finally, they’d claim that having to pay royalties would devastate small broadcasters.

Source: ‘Artists won’t stop fighting until large broadcast corporations pay fairly for music.’

Rights management provider Intertrust today announced its collaboration with Music Securities, a leading independent financial services company, to create a more democratic music rights marketplace providing the creator economy with new sources of revenue. “Artists who own their master recording rights will receive a fair share of the proceeds of their sales, and transfer their rights to tap into significant revenue streams,” said Masami Komatsu, Music Securities’ CEO.

Source: Digital Music Securities to Use Intertrust Web 3.0 Technology to Revolutionize the Music Rights Market

While there has been relatively little litigation concerning tattoo copyrights, 2023 could be the year that changes. The watershed moment for a new era in tattoo copyright litigation came in 2022. In Alexander v. Take-Two Interactive Software, et al., tattoo artist Catherine Alexander sued the defendants in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, asserting copyright infringement arising from the defendant’s allegedly unauthorized use of her tattoo designs in their WWE 2K video game series.

Source: This Year is Poised to Be a Landmark One for Tattoo Copyright Litigation

Don Henley, Sheryl Crow, Sting and a slew of other musicians are throwing their support behind a new federal copyright rule aimed at making sure that songwriters who regain control of their music actually start getting paid their streaming royalties after they do so. In a letter Thursday, the Music Artists Coalition urged the Copyright Office to grant final approval for the proposed rule, warning that “music creators must not be deprived of the rights afforded to them by copyright law.”

Source: Hundreds of Artists Push for Copyright Rule Change On Streaming Royalties: ‘We Stand Together’

A proposed class-action lawsuit filed Thursday by rap duo Black Sheep accused Universal Music Group of unlawfully lowering artists’ royalty payments from Spotify after signing an “undisclosed, sweetheart deal” with the streaming service. Andres Titus and William McLean told a Manhattan federal court that the label has withheld nearly $750 million owed to its artists after agreeing to reduced payments from Spotify in exchange for company stock.

Source: Lawsuit claims UMG cut artists’ royalties under secret Spotify deal

The “Looney Tunes” and “Flintstones” content was licensed to HBO Max from Warner Bros. under an intra-company deal. Those licensing agreements expired at the end of 2022 and HBO Max did not renew them, as it seeks to reduce content expenses. It’s unclear whether the “Looney Tunes” and “Flintstones” content that is no longer on HBO Max will be available other streaming platforms.

Source: HBO Max Removes 256 ‘Looney Tunes’ Shorts, Three Seasons of ‘The Flintstones’