Recording artists today, especially those not signed with major labels, bear the vast majority of financial risk for making music. For some, like Jordan, the desire to get their music in front of more people can lead them to sign deals they otherwise wouldn’t consider.
Source: An old music industry scheme, revived for the Spotify era
Maryland’s library e-book law is effectively dead. In a response filing this week, Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh said the state would present no new evidence in the case, allowing the court’s injunction blocking the law to stand and paving the way for it to be converted into a permanent injunction.
The scientific and academic publishers of the Syndicat national de l’édition (SNE-France) and the Fédération Nationale de la Presse Spécialisée (FNPS) have welcomed the recommendations of a report on open science. Among some tangible measures proposed, the publishers’ response is especially warm to support for publishers towards greater openness; [and] for the need for impact studies prior to any public action.
Source: France’s Scientific Publishers Back an ‘Open Science’ Report
In its federal budget released on Thursday (April 7), the government is signaling a commitment to amend the copyright act “to ensure fair compensation for creators and copyright holders as part of a sustainable educational publishing marketplace.”
Source: Canadian Publishing Hails Ottawa’s Copyright Commitment
The website will serve as a gateway to the CCB before the full opening of the board to users of copyrighted materials later this spring. The U.S. Copyright Office says the website is dedicated to helping everyone understand the mission and processes behind the Copyright Claims Board.
Source: U.S. Copyright Office Launches New Copyright Claims Board Website
The settlement was predicated on the basis that getting higher rates for the much more lucrative streaming market was more important and should be the focus of CRB rate litigation, instead of wasting time and money on the rate for the much less revenue-rewarding song downloads and physical formats. But a subsequent comment period on the rate settlement brought out other interested parties — songwriters, songwriting trade groups, and their representatives — who hadn’t been formal participants in the CRB rate proceeding.
Source: Why the CRB Threw Out the Major Labels and NMPA’s Rate Settlement
For the past quarter century, the major platforms have consistently avoided compliance with the notice-and-takedown process by, for instance, erecting unnecessary roadblocks for copyright owners to submit requests. Or, as a Virginia federal court recently affirmed, COX Communications remains on the hook for a billion-dollar damage award due to its failure to comply with the DMCA condition requiring the removal of repeat infringers.
Source: Addressing Fair Use Rhetoric in Debate Over SMART Act – The Illusion of More
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government introduced legislation on Tuesday that would require companies like the parents of Google and Facebook to pay Canadian media outlets for allowing links to news content on their platforms. Canadian publishers, many of which are struggling financially, have long pushed the government for such a measure.
Source: Canada Introduces Bill Requiring Online Giants to Share Revenues With Publishers
Bob Dylan won a ruling Tuesday at a New York appeals court rejecting a lawsuit that claims he owes a portion of his huge Universal catalog sale to the widow of a one-time collaborator, a case Dylan has called an “opportunistic attempt” at an “unjustified windfall.”
Source: Bob Dylan Beats ‘Opportunistic’ Lawsuit Over $300M Catalog Sale