Rights

DeepSeek is a wake-up call for the music industry – and its data goldmine

The DeepSeek R1 algorithm works. And it’s spreading. You can download the code, run it on your own server or PC, and see results that differ from those on Chinese-hosted versions. DeepSeek means that everyone, from researchers in São Paulo to start-ups in Stockholm and doctors in Nairobi, can access state-of-the-art AI at little to no cost. You just need a $2,000 machine with 512GB RAM to run DeepSeek R1 locally, generating 3.5–4 tokens per second.

Source: DeepSeek is a wake-up call for the music industry – and its data goldmine

AAP, IPA Join Groups Calling for AI to Respect Copyright

Thirty-eight international organizations representing creative industries—including the Association of American Publishers, under the auspices of the International Publishers Association—have released a joint statement calling for oversight and regulation of artificial intelligence development, focusing on respect for copyright and related intellectual property.

Source: AAP, IPA Join Groups Calling for AI to Respect Copyright

US Copyright Office launches inquiry into performance rights organizations

The USCO launched a call for written submissions from the public about the PROs in response to a letter sent by members of the House Judiciary Committee to the Copyright Office last September. The letter expressed concerns about the number of PROs in the US and the difficulties many businesses face in licensing music, given the need to sign blanket licensing agreements with numerous collections organizations.

Source: US Copyright Office launches inquiry into performance rights organizations

The New York Times Has Spent $10.8M In Its Legal Battle With OpenAI So Far

The newspaper company said it spent $10.8 million on costs associated with generative artificial intelligence litigation in 2024, according to its quarterly earnings filing on Wednesday. The Times, buoyed by its 11 million-plus paid subscribers to its newspaper and suite of products, is one of the few journalistic entities that can afford to engage in yearslong litigation with Big Tech.

Source: The New York Times Has Spent $10.8M In Its Legal Battle With OpenAI So Far

Spotify slams the NMPA’s takedown action: ‘This is a press stunt.’

Responding to the announcement on Tuesday, a Spotify spokesperson slammed the NMPA’s takedown action, calling the move “a weak reaction” to the court’s dismissal of the MLC’s ‘bundling’ lawsuit against Spotify last week. “The fact that the NMPA waited months, despite multiple written requests by Spotify for details, which they never bothered to answer, to report these episodes only further emphasizes that this is a press stunt.”

Source: Spotify slams the NMPA’s takedown action over alleged unlicensed songs in podcasts: ‘This is a press stunt.’

Warner Music Group and Audiomack Expand Licensing Deal

Warner Music Group (WMG) and music streaming and discovery platform Audiomack have announced an expanded licensing agreement covering 47 additional countries. In this expanded deal, newly added regions include the UK, France, Italy, Germany, the Caribbean, Mexico, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. The partnership, which was Audiomack’s first with a major label, began in 2019.

Source: Warner Music Group and Audiomack Expand Licensing Deal

Bain’s Advice for Hollywood This Year: Own IP or Own Nothing

What kind of deals do entertainment and media giants need in the age of technology giants? It is a question that Hollywood management teams and Wall Street are constantly discussing and assessing. Management consulting firm Bain & Co., in a new research report, shares this guidance: “Own the consumer, own the intellectual property (IP), or own nothing.” In other words to compete in “a world of tech mega-platforms,” players will need “more cross-sector M&A and deals for IP.”

Source: Bain’s Advice for Hollywood This Year: Own IP or Own Nothing

Publishers Ramp Up Pressure vs. Anna’s Archive, Sci-Hub, Z-Library & Libgen

The world’s major publishers claim that unlicensed libraries cast a permanent shadow over authors’ ability to make a living from their work. Those same shadows also make it more difficult to predict whether today’s investments in publishing content will pay off, or find themselves copied at will and distributed for free on the world’s most popular shadow libraries.

Source: Publishers Ramp Up Pressure vs. Anna’s Archive, Sci-Hub, Z-Library & Libgen * TorrentFreak

Music Publishers Begin ‘Extensive’ Spotify Podcast Takedowns Over Licensing Violations

Just hours after Spotify announced its first-ever annual net profit, the National Music Publishers’ Association has launched an ongoing takedown initiative against the streaming giant for the unlicensed use of music in podcasts on its platform. Beginning today (Feb. 4), notices will be sent to remove thousands of unlicensed uses of NMPA members’ works, according to the announcement. Over 2,500 detections of infringement are included in the initial takedown notices.

Source: Music Publishers Begin ‘Extensive’ Spotify Podcast Takedowns Over Licensing Violations

US court says copyright termination applies globally

Until now, it was generally understood that when an author exercises their termination right under US law, this applies only to US rights – international rights remain with the assignee (i.e., the publisher who bought the rights). However, a recent ruling by the US District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana upended this: The court concluded that a termination under US law applies globally – or, at least, in all the countries that participate in the Berne Convention.

Source: US court says copyright termination applies globally, potentially causing ‘chaos’ for rightsholders

Get the latest RightsTech news and analysis delivered directly in your inbox every week
We respect your privacy.