A British lawmaker has stated that artists fear retribution if they participate in the government’s ongoing inquiry into streaming royalties. The House of Commons’ Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee announced the high-profile probe of streaming royalties last month. The comprehensive analysis aims to identify streaming’s impact on all relevant stakeholders, as well as its long-term effects concerning “the sustainability of the wider music industry.”
Source: Artists Fear Consequences of Discussing Streaming Royalties, Says MP
Several RIAA labels have secured a major win in their court battle against the popular hip-hop mixtape service Spinrilla. A federal court in Atlanta has ruled that the company is liable for direct copyright infringement after it streamed thousands of infringing works. In addition, the mixtape service can’t rely on the DMCA’s safe harbor since it failed to register an official agent.
Facebook is to pay mainstream UK news outlets millions of pounds a year to license their articles, as the social network faces the threat of a government crackdown over its dominance of online advertising. Most British newspaper groups have signed up to the programme, under which their articles will appear in a dedicated news section on the site that is due to launch in January.
The EU Commission is calling for the capacity of law enforcement agencies around Europe to be “substantially strengthened” to fight piracy and other IP crimes. Promising to reinforce cooperation between rightsholders, intermediaries, police and prosecutors, the Commission says that dealing with these threats must become a higher priority.