Headlines

Australia rejects proposal that would have exempted AI training from copyright laws

In an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Attorney-General Michelle Rowland said the Labor Party government of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese would not move forward on a proposal to give tech companies an exemption to copyright laws for text and data mining (TDM). Instead, Rowland suggested the government would be looking to establish a licensing system for copyrighted content used in training AI.

Source: Australia rejects proposal that would have exempted AI training from copyright laws

AI companies steal publisher traffic then undermine trust by getting answers wrong

Research points to a generally corrosive impact of AI answer engines on the news ecosystem, getting answers wrong and undermining trust. It found that the likes of Perplexity and Google AI Overviews are stealing publisher traffic but also contributing to declining trust in the news industry by giving distorted answers. The research concludes: “If AI assistants are not yet a reliable way to access the news, but many consumers trust them to be accurate, we have a problem.”

Source: AI companies steal publisher traffic then undermine trust by getting answers wrong

WGA Says Warner Bros. Merger Would Be a ‘Disaster’ for Writers

The Writers Guild of America came out swinging on Thursday against a merger between Warner Bros. and any other studio, saying such consolidation would be a “disaster” for writers. “Merger after merger in the media industry has harmed workers, diminished competition and free speech, and wasted hundreds of billions of dollars better invested in organic growth,” the WGA East and West said in a statement Thursday.

Source: WGA Says Warner Bros. Merger Would Be a ‘Disaster’ for Writers

Wonder Studios, backed by OpenAI, DeepMind execs, raised $12M 

London-based AI creative studio Wonder Studios has raised $12 million in seed funding to scale production amid a push to bring AI-generated content into the entertainment industry. The round was led by Atomico, alongside existing investors LocalGlobe and Blackbird, and builds on Wonder’s pre-seed investment, which included executives from ElevenLabs, Google DeepMind, and OpenAI.

Source: Wonder Studios, backed by OpenAI, DeepMind execs, raised $12M to bring AI content to Hollywood  | TechCrunch

YouTube paid out $8B to the music industry in 12 months

YouTube has paid more than $8 billion to the music industry in the 12 months between July 2024 and July 2025, the company announced on Thursday. “Today’s $8 billion payout is a testament to the fact that the twin engine of ads and subscriptions is firing on all cylinders,” said YouTube’s Global Head of Music Lyor Cohen in a statement.

Source: YouTube paid out $8B to the music industry in 12 months | TechCrunch

Ex-Lawmakers & Many Others Submit Cox v. Sony Amicus Briefs

The Cox v. Sony Music amicus briefs flurry isn’t letting up
ahead of the high-stakes Cox v. Sony Music Supreme Court arguments, and former members of Congress, SoundExchange, and many others are weighing in. And the way they see things, adopting Cox’s “unduly narrow standard for contributory infringement would violate a half century of case law and sound policy that is critical to maintaining the economic viability and artistic integrity of the artist and music community.”

Source: Ex-Lawmakers & Many Others Submit Cox v. Sony Amicus Briefs

ASCAP, BMI, SOCAN will accept registrations of ‘partially’ AI-generated musical works

The three major North American PROs say that they will now accept registrations of “partially” AI-generated musical works These works can now be registered directly with the individual societies. All three PROs’ registration policies define a partially AI-generated musical work as one that “combines elements of AI-generated musical content with elements of human authorship”.

Source: ASCAP, BMI and SOCAN will now accept registrations of ‘partially’ AI-generated musical works

YouTube’s likeness-detection technology has officially launched 

YouTube revealed on Tuesday that its likeness-detection technology has officially rolled out to eligible creators in the YouTube Partner Program, following a pilot phase. The technology allows creators to request the removal of AI-generated content that uses their likeness. YouTube’s detection technology identifies and manages AI-generated content featuring the likeness of creators, such as their face and voice.

Source: YouTube’s likeness-detection technology has officially launched | TechCrunch

New Report Urges Publishers to Capitalize on Hidden Strengths

While the use of various digital technologies has drained away many readers, the survey found that 60% of U.S. consumers would like to read more books, and a similar percentage reported that they devote their full attention to reading when they open a book. In both instances, book reading was the only media activity that garnered such a favorable response from the majority of consumers.

Source: New Report Urges Publishers to Capitalize on Hidden Strengths

Spotify holds a patent for tech that can generate song mashups

According to the document, the technology would work by first separating tracks into their component parts – vocals and instrumentals – then “adding the vocal component” of “at least one music track to at least a select segment of the base music track.” In other words, Spotify’s algorithm could automatically layer the singing from one song over the backing track of a completely different song, though users would still control the creative choices.

Source: Spotify holds a patent for tech that can generate song mashups

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