Rights

ByteDance says it will add safeguards to Seedance 2.0 following Hollywood backlash

Chinese tech giant ByteDance has said it will strengthen safeguards on a new artificial intelligence video-making tool, following complaints from entertainment giants. “ByteDance respects intellectual property rights and we have heard the concerns regarding Seedance 2.0,” a company spokesperson said. “We are taking steps to strengthen current safeguards as we work to prevent the unauthorized use of intellectual property and likeness by users.”

Source: ByteDance says it will add safeguards to Seedance 2.0 following Hollywood backlash

ASCAP paid out a record $1.76bn to songwriters and publishers in 2025

US performance rights organization ASCAP has reported its revenue and royalty payout numbers for 2025, with both figures hitting all-time highs. Revenue came in at $1.945 billion for calendar 2025, up 6.0% year over year. Of that, New York-based  ASCAP distributed $1.759 billion to songwriters, composers, and music publishers, an increase of 3.7% YoY.

Source: ASCAP paid out a record $1.76bn to songwriters and publishers in 2025

Sony Group develops tech to track original music in AI-generated songs (report)

Sony Music Group‘s parent company, Japan-headquartered Sony Group, has reportedly developed technology to identify copyrighted music embedded in AI-generated tracks. That’s according to the financial news outlet Nikkei Asia, which reported on Monday (February 16) that the tech has opened a path for songwriters to claim compensation when their work is used without authorization.

Source: Sony Group develops tech to track original music in AI-generated songs (report)

Motion Picture Association Denounces ‘Massive’ Infringement on Seedance 2.0

The Motion Picture Association on Thursday denounced the newest AI video generator, Seedance 2.0, saying it had unleashed a flood of copyright infringement in the day since it became available. ByteDance, the Chinese owner of TikTok, said the model represents a “substantial leap in generation quality” since the previous version.

Source: After AI Video of ‘Tom Cruise’ Fighting ‘Brad Pitt’ Goes Viral, Motion Picture Association Denounces ‘Massive’ Infringement on Seedance 2.0

CLEAR Act Would Create Notice Requirements for Copyrighted Works in AI Training Data

If enacted as drafted, the bill would establish mandatory reporting requirements for companies developing artificial intelligence (AI) models that are trained using original works that are protected under U.S. copyright law, and would create an additional cause of action for copyright owners alleging that generative AI developers failed to give such notice with respect to their works.

Source: CLEAR Act Would Establish Notice Requirements for Copyrighted Works in AI Training Data

Big AI Beware: Bounty Hunters Are Coming To Track Down Misuse Of Hollywood IP

LightBar, founded by an anonymous CEO with credentials in the fintech world, wants to become a gun for hire for studios, enlisting internet users to hunt down AI models generating content that could have been trained on copyrighted material. Or, to put it another way, LightBar is assembling bounty hunters to track down misuse of Hollywood IP.

Source: Big AI Beware: Bounty Hunters Are Coming To Track Down Misuse Of Hollywood IP

Anna’s Archive Quietly ‘Releases’ Millions of Spotify Tracks, Despite Legal Pushback

Despite being sued by Spotify and several record labels, Anna’s Archive has silently begun releasing the actual music files from its massive Spotify scrape. The shadow library’s backend torrent index now lists dozens of new torrents containing approximately 2.8 million tracks totaling roughly 6 terabytes of audio data. This marks a significant escalation in the already historic standoff with the music industry.

Source: Anna’s Archive Quietly ‘Releases’ Millions of Spotify Tracks, Despite Legal Pushback * TorrentFreak

Spotify eyes AI ‘derivatives’ as new revenue stream for artists

Spotify says it wants to enable listeners to interact with their favorite artists’ music through AI – and that the technology to do so is already built. The barrier? Licensing. The comments land amid an intensifying industry debate over how AI-powered derivatives of existing music should be licensed and monetized – and where fans should be allowed to create them.

Source: Spotify eyes AI ‘derivatives’ as new revenue stream for artists – says its tech to let fans make remixes and covers is ready

SoundExchange expands global neighboring rights coverage 

Performance rights collection organization SoundExchange has added 17 new agreements with collective management organizations worldwide in recent months. The expansion includes new partnerships in Kenya, Barbados, Panama, Paraguay, and several European territories, bringing SoundExchange’s total portfolio to over 90 agreements with international CMOs

Source: SoundExchange expands global neighboring rights coverage via 17 new agreements with CMOs in markets including Barbados, Denmark, Kenya, Portugal, and more

Amazon MGM’s ‘Melania’ Documentary Under Fire for Stolen Music

On Monday, director Paul Thomas Anderson and Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood released a statement calling for Melania Trump’s documentary, Melania, to remove a piece of music from the pair’s 2017 film, Phantom Thread. The music’s unauthorized use in the film is just the latest misstep for the Amazon MGM project, which has been unable to recoup much of its exorbitant budget.

Source: Amazon MGM’s ‘Melania’ Documentary Under Fire for Stolen Music

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