Why an A.I. Video of Tom Cruise Battling Brad Pitt Spooked Hollywood

According to Crabtree-Ireland, the real concern is that, even if videos generated by Seedance and other A.I. platforms “are not malicious in intent,” they could “really violate someone’s right to control how their image, their likeness and their voice is used.” The kind of material represented by the Cruise-Pitt battle, he said, “could not be produced by any of the signatories to our contracts — the studios, the streamers — without the specific, informed consent of those individuals.”

Source: Why an A.I. Video of Tom Cruise Battling Brad Pitt Spooked Hollywood

Universal Music strikes deal with superfan platform EVEN to power D2C sales for artists 

The deal establishes EVEN as a direct-to-fan resource for UMG, providing the major’s labels and artists with “turnkey” tools for engaging superfans through early access to music, exclusive content, and community features. The agreement will also allow UMG artists to offer physical music and merchandise through EVEN using UMG’s global D2C, vinyl, and merch infrastructure.

Source: Universal Music strikes deal with superfan platform EVEN to power D2C sales for artists worldwide

Hollywood’s AI Crackdown Opens Door for Copyright Detection Startups 

Hollywood and creative industries are fighting back against AI infringement, with one startup offering proprietary technology to detect suspected misuse of copyrighted material within generative AI models. LightBar, a research platform focused on AI training data, positions itself as the evidence layer that makes those threats actionable.

Source: Hollywood’s AI Crackdown Opens Door for Copyright Detection Startups – Decrypt

The US regional dailies proving news can pay despite Washington Post challenges

The Times, as the nation’s leading newspaper, is unique, and the extent to which other publishers can learn from its example is limited. But if Bezos ever decides he wants to take journalism seriously again, then he might take a look at a handful of large regional papers that have charted a route to sustainability against the strong headwinds that continue to buffet the news business.

Source: The US regional dailies proving news can pay despite Washington Post challenges

ByteDance says it will add safeguards to Seedance 2.0 following Hollywood backlash

Chinese tech giant ByteDance has said it will strengthen safeguards on a new artificial intelligence video-making tool, following complaints from entertainment giants. “ByteDance respects intellectual property rights and we have heard the concerns regarding Seedance 2.0,” a company spokesperson said. “We are taking steps to strengthen current safeguards as we work to prevent the unauthorized use of intellectual property and likeness by users.”

Source: ByteDance says it will add safeguards to Seedance 2.0 following Hollywood backlash

European Parliament Proposes Changes to Copyright Protection in the Age of AI

In late January 2026, a leaked version of the EP’s compromise amendments to its draft report became available. The compromise amendments for the most part simply beef up the proposals in the earlier, draft report – for example, by proposing a more robust licensing and remuneration regime for training data and post-training uses. However, there are a couple of proposals worth noting.

Source: European Parliament Proposes Changes to Copyright Protection in the Age of Generative AI

The music industry’s boiling frog moment

Throw a frog in a pot of boiling water and it will instantly jump out, terrified (and very hot). But put it in a pot of cool water and slowly increase the heat to boiling and it will stay there until it dies. Gruesome? Yes. But a useful analogy for the music industry? Also ‘yes.’  Crucially, the cultural costs were neither as visible nor impactful at the start, instead creeping up over time until suddenly they became the fault lines of today’s business.

Source: The music industry’s boiling frog moment

‘Efficiency over artistic merit’: The crossover between art and artificial intelligence

As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly involved in art, ethical and societal concerns have emerged about AI’s place in creative work. “The capitalist era that we live in favors efficiency over artistic merit,” third-year art student Josue Herrera said. Depending on the intricacy of the prompt, the AI model, the size of the creation and other factors, AI can generate a piece of artwork anywhere from a few seconds to a few hours. Meanwhile, digital creators can take months to finish a piece. 

Source: ‘Efficiency over artistic merit’: The crossover between art and artificial intelligence

Sound Royalties says it closed a record $135m in funded contracts in 2025

Sound Royalties says its 2025 performance also included a doubling of its assets under management (AUM) generated through referred business, representing an increase of over 100% year-over-year. During the year, the company added dozens of new payors to its network, including labels, distributors, publishers, PROs, television networks and content platforms.

Source: Sound Royalties says it closed a record $135m in funded contracts in 2025

ASCAP paid out a record $1.76bn to songwriters and publishers in 2025

US performance rights organization ASCAP has reported its revenue and royalty payout numbers for 2025, with both figures hitting all-time highs. Revenue came in at $1.945 billion for calendar 2025, up 6.0% year over year. Of that, New York-based  ASCAP distributed $1.759 billion to songwriters, composers, and music publishers, an increase of 3.7% YoY.

Source: ASCAP paid out a record $1.76bn to songwriters and publishers in 2025

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