The “standard rerecording restriction” previously spanned the later of five years from the delivery of the final contracted work or two years from a contract’s expiration. But the leading label, in a change that could also be adopted by Sony Music and Warner Music, has reportedly upped the periods to seven years and five years, respectively,
Source: Taylor Swift Re-Recordings Prompt Contract Pivot at UMG
The Government has signed the EU’s Copyright Directive into law five months after the June 2021 deadline set by the European Commission, saying the move will strengthen the rights of authors, performers and other creators and make Irish copyright law “fit for purpose in a digital age”.
Source: Signing of EU copyright directive into Irish law strengthens rights of content creators
Starting in 2022, the music streaming service is planning to adopt what it calls a ‘Fan-centered royalties’ approach for its new HiFi Plus members, and it says that it has the support from the “vast majority of its record label and distributor partners”. TIDAL COO Lior Tibon says that there are more than 100 partners on board, but didn’t specify names of companies.
Source: TIDAL to launch user centric-royalties system and direct-to-artist payments
Miramax is suing director Quentin Tarantino over his plans to sell exclusive Pulp Fiction NFTs, which could be worth millions of dollars. The movie studio argues that it holds the rights to sell NFTs. Tarantino stands accused of copyright and trademark infringement as well as breach of contract, for which Miramax requests damages.
Source: Miramax Sues Tarantino for Copyright Infringement Over “Pulp Fiction” NFT Sale * TorrentFreak
Universal Music Group and Authentic Brands Group have announced a strategic initiative to acquire and actively manage artist brands, including names and likenesses. UMG Chairman/CEO Lucian Grainge said, “UMG and ABG have strong track records as powerful stewards of artist and celebrity brands. Through this initiative, we will invest in name and likeness rights to create unique opportunities for artists with the goal of greatly expanding their cultural and commercial impact.”
Source: Universal Music and Authentic Brands Strike Deal to Acquire and Manage Names and Likenesses
In 2020 alone, streamers produced 532 new television shows. Their appetite for content is fueling a golden age of adaptations, according to Michelle Weiner, head of the books department at Creative Artists Agency (CAA), which includes the book-to-film department and the publishing group. “The volume of film and television being produced has increased dramatically,” she says.
Snapchat has struck a deal with Sony Music Entertainment to include the major record company’s artists’ music in the app’s library of licensed music. This deal means that Snapchat now has partnerships in place with all three major labels.
Source: Snapchat inks licensing deal with Sony Music Entertainment
Achieving equitable streaming rates for recordings and songs is not a complex mathematical conundrum. It does not require convoluted price modeling. It is purely a business fight among private stakeholders. Yet, every five years, due to legacy US copyright laws that have not kept pace with technology, certain stakeholders are locked in rooms with copyright tribunals and forced to become gladiators on a royalty hamster wheel.
ViacomCBS and Twitter are entering into a multiyear global agreement for digital content tied to live events, popular shows and franchises from ViacomCBS’ brands, including CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon and Paramount. As part of the partnership, Paramount+ will host three Twitter watch parties for the streamer’s original series.
Source: ViacomCBS, Twitter Strike Deal for Digital Content Around Live Events
London-based music tech app TagMix, which allows users to capture live video and enhance it with what it says is pro-quality sound, has entered into a licensing agreement with Warner Music Group (WMG). The partnership will allow TagMix to access a selection of the company’s artists as part of an ongoing licensing deal.
Source: UK-based music video app TagMix inks licensing deal with Warner Music Group