Universal Music Group Chairman and CEO Sir Lucian Grainge has sent a comprehensive memo to UMG staff outlining the company’s strategy for generative AI partnerships and product development. Grainge draws a firm line on certain AI applications. “To be clear—and this is very important—we will NOT license any model that uses an artist’s voice or generates new songs which incorporate an artist’s existing songs without their consent,” he writes.
Rights
Piracy claims can’t be added to music publishers’ case against Anthropic, says Judge
According to a court filing, US District Judge Eumi Lee last week (October 8) denied a motion by Universal Music Publishing Group, Concord Music and ABKCO Music to amend their 2023 complaint. Bloomberg Law reported, citing a hearing in San Jose, that Judge Lee found the amendment to be inappropriate because the music publishers failed to investigate the piracy allegations based on Anthropic’s downloading of works.
Source: Piracy claims can’t be added to music publishers’ copyright case against Anthropic, says Judge
SAG-AFTRA’s Sean Astin Comes Out Swinging Against Sora
SAG-AFTRA has followed UTA , CAA and the MPA in sounding the alarm at Sora 2 , the newest version of Open AI’s video-generating app. It’s the latest, and most threatening to Hollywood, version of Sora. SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin and National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland insisted in a joint statement on Thursday that art is about connection and performance, not simulation.
Source: SAG-AFTRA’s Sean Astin Comes Out Swinging Against Sora, Politicians, The Media & AI Anthropomorphism
Hollywood-AI battle deepens, as OpenAI and studios clash over copyrights and consent
Source: Hollywood-AI battle deepens, as OpenAI and studios clash over copyrights and consent
Hollywood, Bollywood unite to push India for stronger copyright laws against AI use
As artificial intelligence reshapes the creative economy, Hollywood and Bollywood are aligning like never before. Hollywood’s MPA and the Producers Guild of India are lobbying an Indian government panel for stricter copyright protections to stop AI firms from using films and shows for training models. They’re pushing for a licensing regime over blanket AI exemptions.
Source: Hollywood, Bollywood unite to push India for stronger copyright laws against AI use
Spooked by AI, Bollywood stars drag Google into fight for ‘personality rights’
Abhishek Bachchan and his wife Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, known for her iconic Cannes Film Festival red carpet appearances, have asked a judge to remove and prohibit creation of AI videos infringing their intellectual property rights. But in a more far-reaching request, they also want Google ordered to have safeguards to ensure such YouTube videos uploaded anyway do not train other AI platforms, legal papers reviewed by Reuters show.
Source: Spooked by AI, Bollywood stars drag Google into fight for ‘personality rights’
AI Artists Are Here. Is It Ethical to Sign Them to Record Deals?
Monet’s success — her five songs have racked up 17 million U.S. streams and generated an estimated $52,000 over two months — has led to ethical conflicts in the business. Some reps from indie labels who spoke with Billboard say they would never sign an AI artist because they’re committed to human creators. Like Kehlani, they resent the idea that a poet in her bedroom pushing a few buttons can compete with human artists.
Source: AI Artists Are Here. Is It Ethical to Sign Them to Record Deals?
Spotify and Merlin ink multi-year global licensing deal
Independent music licensing group Merlin and Spotify have renewed their global, multi-year licensing partnership. According to the companies, the agreement, announced on Tuesday (September 30), “reinforces the vital role of independent music on Spotify and provides Merlin members continued access to a platform that reaches fans worldwide”.
Source: Spotify and Merlin ink multi-year global licensing deal
OpenAI’s New Sora Video Generator to Require Copyright Holders to Opt Out
OpenAI began alerting talent agencies and studios about the forthcoming product and its opt-out process over the past week and plans to release the new version in the coming days, the people said. The opt-out process for the new version of Sora means that movie studios and other intellectual property owners would have to explicitly ask OpenAI not to include their copyright material in videos the tool creates.
Source: OpenAI’s New Sora Video Generator to Require Copyright Holders to Opt Out
What happens when an AI-generated artist gets a record deal? A copyright mess
Hallwood Media signed a deal with Telisha “Nikki” Jones after negotiations that purportedly included an offer of $3 million, Billboard reported. Jones is a Mississippi-based lyricist behind the R&B artist “Xania Monet” whose most popular song on Spotify racked up over 1 million listens, and whose Reels regularly top 100,000 views on Instagram – despite her likeness, vocals, and music being AI-generated.
Source: What happens when an AI-generated artist gets a record deal? A copyright mess