Facebook parent company Meta is seeking the dismissal of a lawsuit filed by Sweden-headquartered royalty-free soundtrack provider Epidemic Sound about two months ago over the alleged copyright infringement. Epidemic Sound, which owns a catalog of about 35,000 royalty-free tracks and 90,000 sound effects, sued Meta in July, alleging that the social media giant “knowingly, intentionally and brazenly” stole music created by hundreds of musicians, songwriters, producers and vocalists.
Source: Facebook parent Meta asks court to dismiss Epidemic Sound’s $142m lawsuit
Back in the early 1990s, when hip-hop artists were struggling to legitimize sampling, music industry executives tried to fit a square peg in a round hole by applying existing licensing criteria and terminology to a new field that they considered a “fad.” Of course, sampling only grew more popular, and eventually, a new licensing framework was created to accommodate it. Currently, we are having the same problem with Web3.
Artists make thousands and sometimes millions of dollars selling non-fungible tokens, some of which feature celebrities or others. The artist may have protectable rights under the Copyright Act for their original work, but the celebrity portrayed in the NFT has competing publicity rights to control their name, image, and likeness. Whose rights prevail?
In a new memo sent to Kobalt clients in the past few days, Kobalt says that it has “been working with Meta on new licensing terms” since its previous deal expired in July, and that it is now “pleased to announce that Kobalt’s repertoire is once again licensed on Meta Platforms in the US.” The note adds: “You should expect to see your repertoire return to Meta’s platforms shortly.”
As librarians see it, CDL is a traditional checkout function adapted for the needs of the modern library user. Under the Copyright Act, libraries have always been free to lend the books they have legally acquired without permission or having to pay additional fees. So why are these major publishers suing over CDL?
