Entertainment giant Warner Bros. Discovery has struck a deal with UK-based Cutting Edge Group to create a JV through which they will co-own and co-manage WBD’s vast catalog of film and TV music. The creation of the JV is claimed to be, “by value, one of the largest music rights deals ever transacted.” The Financial Times reports that the deal is worth more than USD $1 billion.
Warner Bros. Discovery strikes JV with Cutting Edge to co-own vast catalog of film & TV music
By rightstech
Google owes UK news industry £2.2bn from 2023 alone, claims new research
By rightstech
New research has suggested UK news publishers are owed £2.2bn by Google for their contribution to the search platform in 2023 alone. The Public Interest News Foundation worked with FehrAdvice to calculate the value of journalism to Google with a survey of 1,484 people which observed their internet browsing habits. Google responded that such studies are “misleading” and have been “debunked”, insisting it makes very little money from news content.
Source: Google owes UK news industry £2.2bn from 2023 alone, claims new research
Online publishing revenue trends: Audio rising, video stalls, data is golden
By rightstech
In a new quarterly series AOP managing director Richard Reeves analyses online publishing industry revenue trends. Five years ago, subscriptions accounted for just 22% of digital publishing revenue, dwarfed by the 42% delivered by display advertising. Today, the gap has narrowed significantly, and subscriptions may soon match or exceed display advertising revenues.
Source: Online publishing revenue trends: Audio rising, video stalls, data is golden
How AI is reshaping copyright law and what it means for the news industry
By rightstech
News organisations have filed several lawsuits accusing AI companies of infringing on their copyright to train their own models. Is the argument so cut and dry? “We haven’t had any court ruling to say that they are violating the law,” says Alina Trapova. “The general feeling in all of these discussions is that there is a violation of copyright. But it has to really go down again to how each individual system works.”
Source: How AI is reshaping copyright law and what it means for the news industry
Bowker Rejoins ISNI Global Identification Effort
By rightstech
The ISNI International Agency, which provides tools to identify millions of contributors of creative works and those active in their distribution, has announced that Bowker, the ISBN services company, has rejoined the community as an ISNI Registration Agency. Bowker’s re-engagement also coincides with the Book Industry Study Group’s efforts to establish a nationwide ISNI workflow in the United States.
Who Owns AI Output? Why Recent Cases Against OpenAI Could Redefine Copyright
By rightstech
Christopher T. Zirpoli, legislative attorney at the U.S. Congressional Research Service suggests that while AI users might be considered the authors of specific outputs, the creative process behind coding and training AI gives its creators a stronger claim to authorship than a traditional toolmaker. The creative choices involved in coding and training the AI “might give an AI’s creator a stronger claim to some form of authorship than the manufacturer of a camera.”
Source: Who Owns AI Output? Why Recent Cases Against OpenAI Could Redefine Copyright
Bookshop.org challenges Amazon with new e-book platform
By rightstech
Bookshop.org and Libro.fm have emerged as alternatives to Amazon, sharing a cut of sales with independent bookstores around America. But for e-book readers, it’s been challenging to buy new titles without going through Amazon’s ecosystem. Bookshop.org’s expansion into e-books gives consumers a long-awaited option to buy these digital books while also supporting small businesses.
Source: Bookshop.org challenges Amazon with new e-book platform | TechCrunch
Digital Checkouts Rose 17% at OverDrive
By rightstech
Digital borrowing of e-books, audiobooks, and digital magazines rose to more than 739 million checkouts at the libraries and schools who use OverDrive’s Libby and Sora apps. Some 366.2 million e-books were borrowed last year, the most of any format, but the rate of increase, 7%, was the slowest among all formats. Downloads of digital audiobook rose 19%, to 278.3 million checkouts.
Copyright Office: Use of AI Tools in Creative Process Does Not Undermine Copryight
By rightstech
The U.S. Copyright Office declared Wednesday that the use of artificial intelligence tools to assist in the creative process does not undermine the copyright of a work. In a 41-page report, the Copyright Office also reiterated that human authorship is essential to copyright, and that merely entering text prompts into an AI system is not enough to claim authorship of the resulting output.
Source: Copyright Office Offers Assurances on AI Filmmaking Tools
UK’s House of Lords votes to strengthen copyright protections in AI, dealing blow to government’s plans
By rightstech
The House of Lords voted 145 to 126 in favor of amendments to a bill in a bid to strengthen copyright protections in AI development. The development came just weeks after Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government received a report proposing a sweeping national AI strategy. The reforms were championed by digital rights campaigner and crossbench (independent) peer Baroness Kidron, and backed by the Creative Rights In AI Coalition.