News organizations, book publishers, and now music companies want to join a copyright infringement suit against OpenAI being heard by a court in Delhi. The music companies are “concerned OpenAI and other AI systems can extract lyrics, music compositions, and sound recordings from the internet,” an unnamed industry source told Reuters.
Source: Record companies in India want to join a lawsuit against ChatGPT maker OpenAI
A new music application called MashApp that allows users to create real-time “mashups” of popular music tracks officially launched in the US on Tuesday (February 18). The app, initially available on iOS devices, has secured licensing deals with Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, and Kobalt Music. This means users can access an extensive catalog of popular hits to mix and match.
Source: Universal, Warner, and Sony ink licensing deals with new music creation/social app, MashApp
A U.S. federal judge last week handed down a summary judgment in a case brought by tech conglomerate Thomson Reuters against legal tech firm Ross Intelligence. The judge found that Ross’ use of Reuters’ content to train its AI legal research platform infringed on Reuters’ intellectual property. The outcome could have implications for the more than 39 copyright-related AI lawsuits currently working their way through U.S. courthouses.
Source: What the US’ first major AI copyright ruling might mean for IP law | TechCrunch
US performance rights organization BMI has launched a campaign urging its affiliates (songwriters, composers, and publishers) to make their voices heard in the US Copyright Office’s inquiry into PROs. The USCO launched an investigation on Monday (February 10) in an effort to answer “questions related to the increase in the number of PROs and the licensing revenue distribution practices of PROs.”
The Mechanical Licensing Collective is asking a federal court to reconsider its dismissal of a lawsuit centering on Spotify’s bundling. The MLC just recently submitted that motion for reconsideration, after a federal judge about two weeks back tossed the relevant complaint with prejudice. As the Mechanical Licensing Collective sees things, the court erred when deeming Spotify Premium a bundle despite the availability of audiobooks before the bundling-classification pivot had been made official.
Source: Mechanical Licensing Collective Targets Spotify Suit Dismissal
According to MIDiA’s newest report, “Audio’s entertainment value: Examining audio listeners’ cross-entertainment lives”, podcasts and audiobooks have the potential to provide music rightsholders with one of the highest value audience segments out there. Across the board, data shows audio listeners are more willing than music streamers to engage with digital marketing efforts like pre-saves, add music to their collections, listen to full albums on streaming services, and listen to songs they have Shazamed.
Source: The audio listener is too valuable for the music industry to ignore
The Guardian has become the latest news publisher to sign a deal with ChatGPT owner OpenAI over content licensing. The deal will ensure The Guardian receives compensation for the use of its journalism on ChatGPT and gets properly credited on the platform. Under the deal The Guardian will also be able to use OpenAI technology in-house.
Source: Guardian signs licensing deal with ChatGPT owner OpenAI
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman detailed plans for the company’s GPT-4.5 and GPT-5 AI models in a roadmap published on X on Wednesday. In the post, Altman also acknowledged that OpenAI’s product lineup has gotten complicated and says that the company wants to do “a much better job” simplifying its offerings. “We hate the model picker as much as you do and want to return to magic unified intelligence,” Altman says.
Source: OpenAI lays out plans for GPT-5
When the Writers Guild of America approved a contract with major studios in 2023, ending a 148-day strike, the union became the first bargaining group to gain significant guardrails around artificial intelligence in Hollywood. But as AI innovation continues to advance, writers say they need more protection from studios. Now, they’re urging entertainment companies to take legal action against AI firms that they allege are using writers’ work to train AI models without their permission.
.
Source: Hollywood writers say AI is ripping off their work. They want studios to sue
On March 2, one of the last pillars of linear TV will fall: the Academy Awards. Hollywood’s biggest night is a celebration of cinema, but this year it may as well double as a requiem for traditional TV. For the first time in the history of the broadcast, the Oscars will be streamed live outside of the pay TV ecosystem, on Disney’s Hulu, alongside its broadcast home on ABC.
Source: The End of TV Is Here