61 Years Ago Today: Sony Brings Video Recording into American Homes

On this day in June 1965, Sony Corporation made a bold leap into consumer electronics by introducing one of the world’s first home video tape recorders to the U.S. market. The device, known as the CV-2000 Videocorder, carried a suggested retail price of $995 and promised to revolutionize how families captured and replayed moving images in their living rooms. It marked a significant milestone as the first fully transistorized video tape recorder designed with home users in mind. 

Source: 61 Years Ago Today: Sony Brings Video Recording into American Homes

Musicians shortchanged by AI deals with labels, lawsuit alleges

The American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM), which has 70,000 members, said Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group “received significant compensation” from the AI companies for past copyright violations and licensed “substantial” portions of their music catalogs to them, but haven’t shared that with the musicians.

Source: Musicians shortchanged by AI deals with labels, lawsuit alleges

220+ rights orgs worldwide urge France’s National Assembly to adopt AI training bill

A coalition of 227 rights organizations worldwide has called on France‘s National Assembly to pass a bill that would establish a legal presumption that AI companies have used copyrighted works to train their systems. The Darcos bill would insert a presumption into the French Intellectual Property Code that AI providers have used copyrighted works, unless they can prove otherwise.

Source: 220+ rights orgs worldwide urge France’s National Assembly to adopt AI training bill

Music prediction is a $400m market in 2026 so far – on one platform

Prediction market apps like Kalshi and Polymarket have quickly become huge businesses – and to the layperson, they look and feel like gambling apps. Now, you can stake your prediction money on anything– including events in the music industry. In 2026, there’s a huge and growing market that has turned the data of the music industry into a febrile space of predictions. It’s a space where money goes in, and then more money might come back out if you are lucky.

Source: Music prediction is a $400m market in 2026 so far – on one platform

Universal sells Curve Royalty Systems to Merlin and Matt Spetzler’s Jamen Capital

Universal Music Group and its subsidiary Virgin Music Group have agreed to sell Curve Royalty Systems to Jamen Capital and Merlin. The sale is the divestment that the European Commission required as a condition of clearing Universal Music Group‘s $775 million acquisition of Downtown Music Holdings in February. It paves the way for Curve, the royalty processing platform used by thousands of record labels, distributors and publishers, to operate as an independent business again.

Source: Universal sells Curve Royalty Systems to Merlin and Matt Spetzler’s Jamen Capital

Google Launches ‘Search Profiles’ for Creators and Companies

Google is introducing a new way for creators and publishers to promote their content on the search engine with “Search profiles.” The new feature comes amid consternation from website operators and creators that Google’s AI summaries have eroded the volume of referral traffic coming from the search portal. The internet giant describes Search profiles as a “dedicated, shareable space to highlight content across platforms.”

Source: Google Launches ‘Search Profiles’ for Creators and Companies

Artists, Labels and PROs Seek Changes to DMCA

Musicians, including Katy Perry and Billy Joel, sent a petition earlier this year to the U.S. Copyright Office to amend the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Now there’s an open letter to Congress signed by stars like Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift and U2 expressing a similar sentiment. Music labels like Sony Music and Universal Music Group have also endorsed the letter, which will be featured in ads on political websites like Politico and The Hill.

Source: Artists, Labels and PROs Seek Changes to DMCA

Sony Invests in AI Copyright-Protection Firm Midnight Labs

Midnight Labs, an AI company focused on intellectual property protection in the entertainment industry, has secured an investment from Sony’s Innovation Fund to help bolster its efforts to combat piracy and deepfakes plaguing entertainment companies and content creators in the U.S. and Japan. The company — which is based in Dublin, Tokyo and San Francisco — says its automated enforcement tools have removed more than 2.8 billion pieces of infringement content, including those that’ve been generated by AI.

Source: Sony Invests in AI Copyright-Protection Firm Midnight Labs

SAG-AFTRA Members Approve Four-Year Deal With AI Terms and Pension Merger

SAG-AFTRA members have ratified a four-year contract with the major studios, which includes new provisions on synthetic actors and a merger of the union’s two pension funds. The contract allows producers to use AI performers only if they bring “significant additional value” compared to a live actor or that actor’s digital avatar. The union has argued that the language — coupled with an arbitration provision — will limit the use of AI replicas to a handful of edge cases.

Source: SAG-AFTRA Members Approve Four-Year Deal With AI Terms and Pension Merger

Producer royalty company mprs is now buying producer catalogs

mprs, the rights management company focused on producer and mixer royalties, is expanding into producer catalog acquisitions. Milk & Honey has signed up to partner in the new acquisition vehicle, while advising on M&A opportunities in the market. Founded in 2021, mprs – pronounced ‘Empress‘ – was spun out of artist management and services company mtheory when Universal Music Group acquired mtheory’s label division.

Source: Producer royalty company mprs is now buying producer catalogs

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