Headlines

Did the Supreme Court Just Hand Elon Musk a Giant Victory Over Music Publishers?

The Supreme Court justices ruled that ISPs and related platforms cannot be held liable for users’ copyright violations unless the service is specifically tailored for infringement or very actively encourages law-breaking piracy. X, which already defeated publishers’ direct infringement claims, now feels it has zero liability for secondary infringement. “If the Supreme Court had issued this opinion three years ago, X believes this court would have dismissed plaintiffs’ contributory infringement claim in its entirety,” X’s attorneys blasted less than 48 hours after the Supreme Court’s verdict. 

Source: Did the Supreme Court Just Hand Elon Musk a Giant Victory Over Music Publishers?

Q&A: The UK’s Copyright Report – A Gift to Creators, a Problem for AI

The UK Government has released its long-awaited copyright report, framed as an attempt to reconcile the competing interests of creators, technology companies and the wider innovation ecosystem. Rightsholders will welcome it, while the UK’s AI sector will find less comfort. Two core policy decisions (on training data and on the ownership of AI-generated outputs) mark a shift away from earlier, more developer-friendly proposals. Both decisions leave significant questions unanswered.

Source: Q&A: The UK’s Copyright Report – A Gift to Creators, a Problem for AI

Quilty, AI Platform Designed to Change How Scripts Are Developed and Assessed, Launches

Quilty, a new artificial intelligence platform designed to help the entertainment industry make more informed financial and creative decisions, has launched. The technology includes creative analysis for scripts and projects, packaging suggestions, as well as market forecasting about how the film will do commercially. It also offers production planning services.

Source: Quilty, AI Platform Designed to Change How Scripts Are Developed and Assessed, Launches

See How Hollywood’s Job Market Is Collapsing

The early 2020s marked the apex of a production boom known as “peak TV,” during which streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and HBO Max tried to add subscribers as fast as possible. By the time strikes by actors and writers ended in 2023, Wall Street was demanding that streaming services give priority to profits over growth. The easiest way to get into the black was to cut production spending. 

Source: See How Hollywood’s Job Market Is Collapsing

Commentary: The Disney/Sora fiasco shows the limits of the AI craze

Sora’s demise points to more than the collapse of a big-media financial deal. It’s yet another indication that the allure of AI-created content for paying customers has been vastly overestimated. So too have been the ostensible efficiencies that AI brings to businesses. For example, Walmart has reportedly found that conversion rates — the percentage of consumers who complete an online transaction after an online search — are appreciably lower for consumers who attempt to complete the purchase through ChatGPT.

Source: Commentary: The Disney/Sora fiasco shows the limits of the AI craze

Authors’ lucky break in court may help class action over Meta torrenting

Looks like Meta is hoping the recent Supreme Court ruling that found Internet service providers aren’t liable for piracy on their networks will help the social media giant dodge liability claims over its torrenting of AI training data. In its statement, Meta said it would soon file a supplemental brief explaining why the ruling would support its motion to dismiss the Entrepreneur Media case.

Source: Authors’ lucky break in court may help class action over Meta torrenting

‘Soon publishers won’t stand a chance’: literary world in struggle to detect AI-written books

An editor at one of the “big five” publishing houses said a “cold shiver went down my spine” when the Shy Girl story broke. “It really is a case of ‘there but for the grace of God go I,’” they said. “It’s an issue publishers are keenly aware of. We make it very clear to authors what we expect, we get them to sign contracts and we run their work through multiple AI detection tools, but we know all this is fallible. “Hence the cold shiver: if an author is determined to use AI, then cover their tracks, there’s very little we can do.”

Source: ‘Soon publishers won’t stand a chance’: literary world in struggle to detect AI-written books

As AI Discourse Rages, Publishing Has More Questions Than Answers

One week after Hachette Book Group pulled Mia Ballard’s Shy Girl for strong suspicions of AI use, the industry is reeling—and struggling to contend with the implications of the novel’s cancelation. In a statement about the book’s cancelation, Hachette cited its commitment to protecting “original creative expression and storytelling.” But book industry researcher Rachel Noorda argued that Hachette’s actions reflected market demands more than anything.

Source: As AI Discourse Rages, Publishing Has More Questions Than Answers

Harlequin to Co-Produce AI-Generated ‘Microdramas’

Harlequin has announced a multi-year agreement with Dashverse, an AI entertainment company specializing in shortform video, to co-produce a slate of 40 animated microdramas inspired by Harlequin Romance titles beginning next month. In a note to PW, Harlequin EVP and publisher Brent Lewis declined to answer questions about the specifics of the deal. He said that authors will receive royalties from the videos, which will be monetized via ads and, on certain platforms, subscriptions.

Source: Harlequin to Co-Produce AI-Generated ‘Microdramas’

Global Streaming Subscription Revenue Tripled In Five Years, Poised to Top $200 Billion by 2030

Global streaming subscription revenue surpassed $150 billion for the first time in 2025, according to a new survey from Ampere Analysis, which highlighted that as “a major milestone” for the subscription market. And streaming subscription revenue will hit $202 billion by 2030, up 29 percent, “as streamers shift focus from subscriber growth to price increases and ad-supported tiers.”

Source: Global Streaming Subscription Revenue Tripled In Five Years, Poised to Top $200 Billion by 2030

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