Rights

ValuePunks offers free catalogue valuations to artists and indie labels

Swiss tech company Tribe Music Group has launched a catalogue-valuation tool called ValuePunks, available for artists and labels to use at no cost. The software measures data across every rights category — streaming, physical, sync, D2C and neighboring rights — and turns it into a catalogue assessment report. This is based on earnings data from more than 120,000 catalogue profiles collectively generating over €100m in annual royalties.

Source: ValuePunks offers free catalogue valuations to artists and indie labels

Netflix Sets Video Licensing Pact With Top Digital Publishers

Netflix is further expanding the mix of content available on its platform through licensing partnerships with a range of top publishers, including Variety and other brands in Penske Media’s PMX unit, as well as BuzzFeed Studios, Condé Nast, Hearst Magazines, People Inc. and Tastemade. The deal calls for Netflix to carry a selection of top video content from the print and digital publishing groups starting Aug. 3.

Source: Netflix Sets Video Licensing Pact With Top Digital Publishers

Legal Battle Between a Punk Singer and a Photographer Heats Up

In July 2025, Los Angeles photographer Jamie Nelson photographed Amy Taylor, the lead singer of Australian punk band Amyl and the Sniffers, for a Vogue Portugal editorial called “Champagne Problems.” But after Nelson began selling limited-edition art prints of the images on her website, Taylor filed suit, alleging that the images were only authorized for editorial use. Now, a year later, the two remain locked in litigation over the matter.

Source: Legal Battle Between a Punk Singer and a Photographer Heats Up

How Le Monde is ‘fiercely defending’ journalism from bad bots

Le Monde has licensing deals with OpenAI, Perplexity and Meta, which allow its content to be used by large language model bots, such as ChatGPT, to answer users’ questions. This has led to “significant” new revenue both through payments from the LLMs and new subscribers coming in via the LLMs. But like many publishers Le Monde is also investing heavily in fighting off the ‘bad bots’ threatening its subscription and advertising revenue.

Source: How Le Monde is ‘fiercely defending’ journalism from bad bots

AI Copyright Showdown: Can Hollywood Challenge AI While Using It?

The battle between Hollywood and generative artificial intelligence (AI) took an important procedural turn this month in one of the most closely watched AI copyright cases pending in the United States. While some headlines suggested that Disney and Universal were broadly ordered to disclose their own internal AI use, the actual discovery ruling is more nuanced. The court permitted only limited discovery into AI-related issues tied to market harm, while rejecting most of Midjourney’s broader requests regarding the studios’ internal AI development and use.

Source: AI Copyright Showdown: Can Hollywood Challenge AI While Using It?

Exceleration Music acquires catalog of Japan’s Ryuichi Sakamoto

Exceleration Music and Japanese rights company NexTone have acquired the recording and publishing catalog of Ryuichi Sakamoto, purchased directly from the late composer’s estate. Sakamoto, who died in 2023 at the age of 71, co-founded the electronic trio Yellow Magic Orchestra in 1978. He became the first Japanese composer to win an Academy Award, a Grammy and a Golden Globe, all for his score to the 1987 film The Last Emperor.

Source: Exceleration Music acquires catalog of Japan’s Ryuichi Sakamoto

Phonorecords V Settlement Proposal Emerges

The majors and the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA), along with the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), the Music Artists Coalition, and the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM), just recently informed the Copyright Royalty Board of their settlement. And according to their letter, the agreement is straightforward enough: The current Phono IV rates, also extending to ringtones, “should not be amended except for continuing inflation adjustments

Source: Phonorecords V Settlement Proposal Emerges

Judge denies Sony Music bid to add over 30,000 recordings to Udio lawsuit

A New York federal judge has denied Sony Music Entertainment‘s request to add 30,442 sound recordings to its copyright infringement lawsuit against AI music platform Udio. The ruling from Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein, keeps the case at the 333 works that remain in the case. Sony filed the motion on May 22 in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, saying it had identified the additional recordings after gaining access to Udio‘s training data in discovery.

Source: Judge denies Sony Music bid to add over 30,000 recordings to Udio lawsuit

Australian Music Industry Demands Action Against Mass-Scale AI Training

A coalition of Australia’s leading music and creative organizations has united to issue an open letter demanding stronger copyright protections in the face of growing concerns over unauthorized AI training. The coalition includes APRA AMCOS, ARIA, The Copyright Agency, Australian Music Centre, National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Music Office, Australian Publishers Association, Screenrights, Screen Producers Australia, AIR, and many more.

Source: Australian Music Industry Demands Action Against Mass-Scale AI Training

Gene Wilder’s Voice Resurrected by AI for Netflix’s Willy Wonka Competition Series

It’s an AI-fueled return to the Chocolate Factory. Netflix has partnered with the AI audio firm ElevenLabs to recreate the voice of actor Gene Wilder, who originated the character’s live-action look in 1971’s “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” and who died in 2016, for its new unscripted reality show “Wonka’s The Golden Ticket.” The AI recreation of Wilder’s voice was done in collaboration with Wilder’s estate, mirroring ElevenLabs’ recreations of contemporaries including Judy Garland and Burt Reynolds.

Source: Gene Wilder’s Voice Resurrected by AI for Netflix’s Willy Wonka Competition Series

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