Rights

Universal sells Curve Royalty Systems to Merlin and Matt Spetzler’s Jamen Capital

Universal Music Group and its subsidiary Virgin Music Group have agreed to sell Curve Royalty Systems to Jamen Capital and Merlin. The sale is the divestment that the European Commission required as a condition of clearing Universal Music Group‘s $775 million acquisition of Downtown Music Holdings in February. It paves the way for Curve, the royalty processing platform used by thousands of record labels, distributors and publishers, to operate as an independent business again.

Source: Universal sells Curve Royalty Systems to Merlin and Matt Spetzler’s Jamen Capital

Sony Invests in AI Copyright-Protection Firm Midnight Labs

Midnight Labs, an AI company focused on intellectual property protection in the entertainment industry, has secured an investment from Sony’s Innovation Fund to help bolster its efforts to combat piracy and deepfakes plaguing entertainment companies and content creators in the U.S. and Japan. The company — which is based in Dublin, Tokyo and San Francisco — says its automated enforcement tools have removed more than 2.8 billion pieces of infringement content, including those that’ve been generated by AI.

Source: Sony Invests in AI Copyright-Protection Firm Midnight Labs

Producer royalty company mprs is now buying producer catalogs

mprs, the rights management company focused on producer and mixer royalties, is expanding into producer catalog acquisitions. Milk & Honey has signed up to partner in the new acquisition vehicle, while advising on M&A opportunities in the market. Founded in 2021, mprs – pronounced ‘Empress‘ – was spun out of artist management and services company mtheory when Universal Music Group acquired mtheory’s label division.

Source: Producer royalty company mprs is now buying producer catalogs

A bill moving through Congress could change who controls the US Copyright Office

At present, the Register of Copyrights is appointed by the Librarian of Congress and answers to that office. H.R. 6028 would break that link. The bill would remove the US Copyright Office from the Library of Congress‘s supervisory authority. The Register would instead be nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate, serving a term of 10 years with the option of reappointment.

Source: A bill moving through Congress could change who controls the US Copyright Office

Copyright Office Reups The MLC’s designation as the statutory Mechanical Licensing Collective

The US Register of Copyrights has continued the designation of The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) as the statutory collective responsible for administering the blanket compulsory mechanical license for eligible streaming and download services in the United States. The decision follows the Register‘s first periodic review of The MLC‘s designation, as required by the Music Modernization Act (MMA).

Source: Copyright Office reups The MLC’s designation as the statutory Mechanical Licensing Collective

AI licensing coalition SPUR in huge expansion

AI news licensing standards coalition SPUR has added almost 20 publisher members in a major international expansion of its work. SPUR said on Wednesday it has already made “significant progress” on its work towards the technical infrastructure that will allow publishers to see how AI systems are using their content and therefore better negotiate. This will be launched soon, the group said.

Source: AI licensing coalition SPUR in huge expansion

Garth Brooks Considers Sale of Music Catalog, Seeking Roughly $2 Billion

Country music star Garth Brooks is considering a sale of his catalog, eyeing roughly $2 billion for the rights to his songs and recordings, according to people familiar with the matter. Brooks, an album sales and touring juggernaut, is seeking a price that would be among the largest deals for an individual artist or group’s catalog. He would sell both his publishing, or songwriting, and recorded music rights.

Source: Garth Brooks Considers Sale of Music Catalog, Seeking Roughly $2 Billion

Google’s Top DMCA Sender Plateaus at 70 Million Takedowns Per Week

Google has processed billions of DMCA takedown requests during the first months of the year. Reporting agency Link-Busters remains the top sender. While its dominance remains, the company appears to have hit a takedown ceiling of roughly 70 million URLs per week. Google won’t confirm whether there’s a limit on the notices it processes and says that trusted parties “can submit the quantity they need.”

Source: Google’s Top DMCA Sender Plateaus at 70 Million Takedowns Per Week

Anthropic Brushes Off Vicarious Infringement Claims In Music Publishers’ Copyright Suit

The “Cox effect” continues to ripple across the music industry litigation landscape. In the latest development, Anthropic has shrugged off vicarious liability in the newer copyright infringement suit it’s facing from major music publishers including Concord. Judge Eumi K. Lee just recently signed a related order, thereby approving the publisher plaintiffs’ voluntary dismissal of a vicarious infringement claim without prejudice.

Source: Anthropic Brushes Off Vicarious Infringement Claims In Music Publishers’ Copyright Suit

Estate of Blues pioneer Lead Belly sues group of publishers in copyright dispute

The complaint, filed on Monday (May 18) in the US District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, Nashville Division, accuses the defendants of continuing to exploit 49 Lead Belly compositions after the estate served formal copyright termination notices. The lawsuit also alleges that an audit of the defendants’ books uncovered more than $289,000 in wrongfully retained royalties. The plaintiff, Terika Dean, is the appointed Trustee of The Huddie Ledbetter Family Trust, according to the complaint.

Source: Estate of Blues pioneer Lead Belly sues group of publishers in copyright dispute

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