Rights

American Law Institute’s ‘Copyright Restatement’ Project Faces Growing Opposition

In opposition to the American Law Institute’s (ALI) Copyright Restatement and to highlight its “significant inaccuracies, omissions, and mischaracterizations of copyright law,” the Copyright Restatement Transparency Project (CRTP) has announced that its petition to raise awareness has surpassed 500 signatures. The CRTP was formed by members of the copyright and creative communities, including individuals and organizations that participated in the Copyright Restatement for years but ultimately resigned from the project in its final stages. 

Source: American Law Institute’s ‘Copyright Restatement’ Project Faces Growing Opposition

The dictionary sues OpenAI

Encyclopedia Britannica and Merriam-Webster have filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging in its complaint that the AI giant has committed “massive copyright infringement.” Britannica, which owns Merriam-Webster, retains the copyright to nearly 100,000 online articles, which have been scraped and used to train OpenAI’s LLMs without permission, the publisher alleges in the lawsuit.

Source: The dictionary sues OpenAI

UK Government backtracks on AI and copyright after outcry from major artists

The UK government has backtracked on its position on copyright and AI, stating it must take time to “get this right”. Its original position – allowing AI companies to use copyrighted works to train their models with an opt-out option – received major backlash from the likes of Sir Elton John and Dua Lipa. “We have listened,” Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said on Wednesday, saying the government no longer favours that approach.

Source: UK Government backtracks on AI and copyright after outcry from major artists

Quincy Jones estate sells catalog and ancillary rights to HarbourView

HarbourView said that the deal includes Jones’ recorded music and publishing assets, as well as other ancillary rights, including his participation in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. As part of the transaction, HarbourView notes that it will “work in close partnership with the Quincy Jones Estate on go-forward initiatives tied to Jones’ name, image, and likeness”. HarbourView said that “additional announcements and tributes will follow in the coming weeks 

Source: Quincy Jones estate sells catalog and ancillary rights to HarbourView

AI Registry to Protect Athlete Likenesses and Digital IP Launched

Callandor Group has unveiled what it describes as the first dedicated registry for sports intellectual property in the AI era: a platform designed to give athletes and sports organizations the tools to manage, protect and profit from their digital identities, which the company says are increasingly being absorbed into AI systems without compensation or consent.

Source: AI Registry to Protect Athlete Likenesses and Digital IP Launched

ByteDance suspends launch of video AI model after copyright disputes (Report)

Source: ByteDance suspends launch of video AI model after copyright disputes (Report)

TikTok’s Chinese parent, ByteDance, has put on hold the global launch of its latest video-generation model, Seedance ​2.0, after a series of copyright disputes with major Hollywood studios ‌and streaming platforms, The Information reported on Saturday, citing two people with direct knowledge of the situation. ByteDance said last month it would take steps to prevent ​the unauthorized use of intellectual property on its AI video generator ⁠Seedance 2.0, following threats of legal action from U.S. studios, including Disney

WGA to Seek Payment for AI Training on Scripts as Talks With Studios Set to Begin

John August, co-chair of the WGA Negotiating Committee, said Tuesday that the union will seek to affirm the principle that writers should be paid for derivative uses of their work, including AI training. In the last go-round, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers refused to accept any limitations on the use of scripts — which they own — to train AI models.

Source: WGA to Seek Payment for AI Training on Scripts as Talks With Studios Set to Begin

Indie Artist Coalition Files Major Lawsuit Against Google Over AI Copyright Theft

A coalition of independent musicians from across the United States has filed a lawsuit against tech giant Google over more than just allegations that the company’s AI models rely on stealing and copying original works. In fact, this lawsuit could be the “broadest, most comprehensive attack on the business model of AI-generated music.”

Source: Indie Artist Coalition Files Major Lawsuit Against Google Over AI Copyright Theft

YouTube Adds Tool to Help Public Figures Report Fake Videos

YouTube is adding a detection tool for government officials, candidates and journalists to catch and report videos that display their likeness without permission. The pilot program is arriving as social media companies and a patchwork of new laws start to address the problem of these so-called deepfakes. But the companies have largely relied on users to report fake material.

Source: YouTube Adds Tool to Help Public Figures Report Fake Videos

GEMA vs. Suno: German court hears landmark AI music copyright case

A packed courtroom in Munich on Monday (March 9) heard oral proceedings in the copyright case brought by Germany’s GEMA against AI music generator Suno. The collecting society alleges that Suno used, stored and reproduced copyrighted recordings of world-famous songs to train its AI tool. The hearing ended without a ruling. A decision date has been set for June 12, 2026.

Source: GEMA vs. Suno: German court hears landmark AI music copyright case

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