Rights

OpenPlay launches music distribution and monetization service 

Catalog management platform OpenPlay has launched OpenPlay Reach, a new service aimed at providing delivery, distribution, and monetization services for music and video assets. The company has appointed Bob Barbiere as Executive Vice President and General Manager to lead the new service. Barbiere brings extensive experience in music technology and rights management from previous executive roles at Dubset Media Holdings and Pex.

Source: OpenPlay launches music distribution and monetization service led by industry veteran Bob Barbiere

R.I.P. Hipgnosis: New Owners Change Name to Recognition Music

Hipgnosis, the catalog company with rights to songs by artists including the Red Hot Chili Peppers that became the face of music-as-an-asset-class for Wall Street investors, is being renamed Recognition Music Group, the company said on Wednesday (March 12). The new name covers Hipgnosis Songs Fund,  Hipgnosis Songs Assets, and Hipgnosis Song Management.

Source: R.I.P. Hipgnosis: New Owners Change Influential Catalog Company’s Name to Recognition Music

Meta copyright lawsuit advances as judge allows authors’ DMCA claims

In a ruling filed on Friday (March 7), US District JudgeVince Chhabriagranted in part and denied in part Meta’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit. The judge ruled that the authors’ claim under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) over alleged removal of copyright management information (CMI) can go forward. “The plaintiffs have adequately alleged that Meta intentionally removed [copyright management information] to conceal copyright infringement,” Judge Chhabria wrote.

Source: Sarah Silverman’s Meta copyright lawsuit advances as judge allows authors’ DMCA claims

AI can steal your voice, and there’s not much you can do about it

Voice cloning AI technology has made remarkable strides in recent years, and many services can effectively mimic a person’s cadence with only a few seconds of sample audio. A new survey of the six leading publicly available AI voice cloning tools found that five have easily bypassable safeguards, making it simple to clone a person’s voice without their consent. Deepfake audio detection software often struggles to tell the difference between real and synthetic voices.

Source: AI can steal your voice, and there’s not much you can do about it

IMPALA Calls Out Amazon Music Minimum-Play Thresholds

New details are emerging about Amazon Music’s “artist-centric” recalibration, which, like its Spotify counterpart, includes minimum-play thresholds before uploads can begin accruing royalties. Brussels-based IMPALA fired back against the thresholds today, after Amazon Music unveiled an “artist-centric” Universal Music deal late last year.

Source: IMPALA Calls Out Amazon Music Minimum-Play Thresholds

Aquarian, Raven Capital Debut Raven Music Partners Catalog JV

Aquarian and Raven Capital have launched a music investment fund called Raven Music Partners, which has $250 million in committed funding. Reps for the involved parties reached out with word of Raven Music Partners, which is said to have offices in New York, LA, and South Florida. Founded by former Guggenheim VP Rudy Sahay, Aquarian says it has close to $22 billion in AUM across its “strategic portfolio of insurance and asset management solutions.”

Source: Aquarian, Raven Capital Debut Raven Music Partners Catalog JV

Sony Music reveals 75,000 AI deepfake takedowns, slams UK’s ‘rushed’ copyright plans

Sony Music has challenged the UK government’s proposed copyright reforms, revealing it has already requested the removal of more than 75,000 AI-generated deepfakes of its artists’ content. The music giant warned that proposed changes to copyright laws would be “rushed, unbalanced and irreversible” and could significantly harm the British creative economy.

Source: Sony Music reveals 75,000 AI deepfake takedowns, slams UK’s ‘rushed’ copyright plans

We Could Use a Model Licensing Framework for Scholarly Content Use in AI Tools

When online journal subscriptions became pervasive in the academic marketplace in the late 1990s, the licensing process was initially inconsistent, cumbersome, and time-consuming. Each license was a bespoke agreement. Even after pricing and business conditions were settled, legal teams from both the publisher and the subscribing library engaged in extensive negotiations over contract specifics. This slow, intricate and expensive process did not scale effectively across numerous publishers, products, and libraries.

Source: We Could Use a Model Licensing Framework for Scholarly Content Use in AI Tools – The Scholarly Kitchen

Key ex-OpenAI researcher subpoenaed in AI copyright case

GPT architect Alec Radford has been subpoenaed in a copyright case against OpenAI, according to a court filing. Radford, who left OpenAI late last year to pursue independent research, was the lead author of OpenAI’s seminal research paper on generative pre-trained transformers (GPTs). GPTs underpin OpenAI’s most popular products, including the company’s AI-powered chatbot platform, ChatGPT.

Source: Key ex-OpenAI researcher subpoenaed in AI copyright case | TechCrunch

Ron Wyden Presses FTC For Disclosure Rules On Ownership Rights Of Digital Purchases

Sen. Wyden (D-Oregon) wants the guidance to include how long a license lasts, what circumstances might expire or revoke the license, and if a consumer can transfer or resell the license. The letter also calls for the information “before and at the point of sale” in a way that’s easily understandable. “To put it simply, prior to agreeing to any transaction, consumers should understand what they are paying for and what is guaranteed after the sale,” Wyden says.

Source: Ron Wyden Presses FTC For Disclosure Rules On Ownership Rights Of Digital Purchases

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