Like many organizations in the music industry, Merlin supports “AI products that aid human creativity, or provide new opportunities for artists to create and collaborate in developing new original works,” wrote the organization in a mission statement shared with Billboard. But it strongly opposes “any product, regardless of its purpose, that has been trained on Merlin members’ music without permission.”
Music AI partners with Audible Magic to create music-swapping tool for TV and film
Music AI, an AI-powered audio technology company, has partnered with Audible Magic to help film and TV companies manage music licensing. Through Music AI’s cinematic stem separation technology, users will be able to break down video soundtracks into individual components like dialogue, background noise, and music. They will then be able to swap in new music when needed.
Source: Music AI partners with Audible Magic to create music-swapping tool for TV, video and film
Australia Plans Tech-Platform Charge to Shore Up News Media
Australia plans to implement a new charge on the owners of global tech platforms, attempting to shore up local media outlets months after Facebook cut ties with traditional news providers. The government plans to charge platforms that choose not to enter or renew commercial agreements with local news publishers. The charge will apply to large digital platforms irrespective of whether or not they carry news, the government said Thursday.
Source: Australia Plans Tech-Platform Charge to Shore Up News Media
For Hollywood, AI Is a Double-Edged Sword
The rosiest outlook on AI deployment envisions an invigoration of the production landscape by bringing down costs in areas related to conceptualization, visual effects and animation, just to name a few. The trade-off? Chunks of the Hollywood workforce gone, mostly those in postproduction who are staring down the barrel of potential automation.
Over 600 Artists Demand UMG Drop Lawsuit vs. Internet Archive
A growing number of musicians have signed a letter organized by Fight for the Future in a campaign demanding UMG and other music labels drop their lawsuit against the Internet Archive, the nonprofit online library best known for the Wayback Machine. Around 630 musicians, including Tegan & Sara, Open Mike Eagle, Amanda Palmer, and Bikini Kill’s Kathleen Hanna, have signed the letter.
Source: Over 600 Artists Demand UMG Drop Lawsuit vs. Internet Archive
WGA Sends Letter to Studios, Urging Lawsuits Against AI ‘Plagiarism’
The Writers Guild of America‘s east and west chapters have sent a strongly-worded letter to the heads of the major Hollywood studios, criticizing them for inaction as artificial intelligence appears to be taking copy-written scripts and using it to “plagiarize stolen works.” The WGA officers go on to criticize the studios for doing “nothing to stop this theft. They have allowed tech companies to plunder entire libraries without permission or compensation.”
The Role of ISNI in Book Publishing: Enabling Accuracy, Discoverability, and Collaboration
The International Standard Name Identifier (ISNI) has become an imperative in the evolving landscape of book publishing. As our industry grows ever more digital and interconnected, ISNI’s role in ensuring accurate identification and the attribution of works to contributors—including authors, editors, illustrators, translators, agents, and organizations—has shifted from a technical utility to a strategic necessity.
Source: The Role of ISNI in Book Publishing: Enabling Accuracy, Discoverability, and Collaboration
Khan Is Gone: Trump Appoints Andrew Ferguson As Next Chair Of FTC
As major media companies eye consolidation, Ferguson has signaled that he will be more lenient that Lina Khan, the FTC chair under President Joe Biden. Punchbowl News last week reported on a pitch made to Trump’s team for Ferguson, and it included the argument that he would stop Khan’s “war on mergers.” He also said he would “protect freedom of speech and fight wokeness” and that he would “fight back against the trans agenda.”
Source: Donald Trump Appoints Andrew Ferguson As Next Chair Of Federal Trade Commission
HarperCollins CEO touts Spotify’s audiobooks entry, AI’s impact on publishing
Of note, Murray said that audiobooks continue to outsell e-books in terms of total revenues and are helping to offset declines from lagging e-book sales. In terms of AI, the CEO declined to discuss specifics of licensing deals, like the one it signed with Microsoft for AI model training, citing NDAs, but stressed that it’s early days for AI licensing, calling it a “fascinating time” in the industry.
Source: HarperCollins CEO touts Spotify’s audiobooks entry, AI’s impact on publishing
Paul McCartney warns AI ‘could take over’ as UK debates copyright laws
Paul McCartney has backed calls for laws to stop mass copyright theft by companies building generative artificial intelligence, warning AI “could just take over.” The former Beatle said it would be “a very sad thing indeed” if young composers and writers could not protect their intellectual property from the rise of algorithmic models, which so far have learned by digesting mountains of copyrighted material.
Source: Paul McCartney warns AI ‘could take over’ as UK debates copyright laws