Rights

President Donald Trump may be looking for a new walk-off song at his campaign rallies now that the Rolling Stones and BMI have put him on notice and threatened to sue if he ever again uses any of their songs licensed by the giant performing rights organization. And now fellow performing-rights group ASCAP says that Trump won’t be allowed to use any of the Stones’ songs in its repertory either.

Source: ASCAP Says Donald Trump Campaign Can’t Use Any Rolling Stones Songs In Its Repertory, Following BMI’s Lead

Revenue from streaming has always been small for many indie musicians, but now it is one of the few income sources available, along with sales of merch, physical records, and downloads on Bandcamp—a platform that has proven to be vastly more profitable for many indie musicians compared to large streaming services. According to artists, the pandemic is only exacerbating the inequities of a system that is rigged against the people who make it run.

Source: How Musicians Are Fighting for Streaming Pay During the Pandemic

As more live events take place on screens, creators and producers will need new ways to license and protect copyrighted material. Even before pandemic pushed our lives online, our digital moment was crying out for a new, more streamlined, simplified approach to managing this copyright can of worms.

Source: Coronavirus drove a boom in virtual content; to protect artists, copyright law must catch up

The EFF has revealed it is teaming up with law firm Durie Tangri to defend the Internet Archive against a lawsuit targeting its Open Library. According to court filings, the impending storm is shaping up to be a battle of the giants, with opposing attorneys having previously defended Google in book scanning cases and won a $1bn verdict for the RIAA against ISP Cox.

Source: EFF & Heavyweight Legal Team Will Defend Internet Archive’s Digital Library Against Publishers * TorrentFreak

Reversing herself, a federal judge in New York reinstated a photographer’s claims that Mashable infringed her copyright by embedding a photo from her public Instagram account. In a ruling issued Thursday, U.S. District Court Judge Kimba Wood said Mashable has not to date presented enough evidence to show it had a valid license from Instagram for the photo.

Source: Digital News Daily: Judge Reinstates Photographer’s Copyright Claim Against Mashable

Google says it will pay some news outlets for “high-quality” stories that it uses amid pressure from publishers. Part of the initiative will require Google to pay for its users to access news stories otherwise locked behind a so-called paywall on certain websites. The first sites to join are in Australia, Brazil, and Germany, with a product launch set for later this year.

Source: Google to pay for ‘high quality’ news in new deal

HBO Max’s programming is getting the podcast treatment. WarnerMedia and iHeartMedia have inked a deal to co-produce a slate of companion podcasts for the streamer’s upcoming originals and legacy programming. The first two projects will be podcasts about comedy thriller Search Party and upcoming sci-fi drama Raised by Wolves.

Source: WarnerMedia, iHeartMedia to Produce Companion Podcasts for HBO Max Shows (Exclusive)

Anytime there is a royalty for the use of a sound recording in the U.S., the music creator is entitled to receive it, regardless of the creator’s nationality and their copyright laws back home. The same is not true around the world — but rights management agency SoundExchange is trying to change that.

Source: SoundExchange, Recording Academy & More Launch ‘Fair Trade’ Campaign to Pay Creators Abroad: Exclusive

Cash-flush global streamers are bound to play a crucial role for Europe’s indie producers as they pick up the pieces and try to bounce back in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. But while it’s great to have new resources to turn to, there are also deep-seated fears.

Source: Angels or Demons? European Producers Contend With Growing Post-Pandemic Power of U.S. Streamers