Why legacy media should use creators as curators and content providers

Much of the traditional entertainment world is now working with creators. In fact, many of these companies have long-standing creator strategies when it comes to marketing. Whether it is a movie launch, a new TV series, video game, or album release, these businesses have a strong handle on which creators to work with to drive engagement. However, the process of working directly with creators on content production and new IP remains a challenge.

Source: Why legacy media should use creators as curators and content providers

Trump Rejects Idea of Paying Copyright Holders for AI Training

President Trump waded into the complex issue of paying copyright holders whose works are used for AI training, saying it is impractical and would put the U.S. at a disadvantage to China. “You can’t be expected to have a successful AI program when every single article, book or anything else that you’ve read or studied, you’re supposed to pay for,” Trump said. “You just can’t do it, because it’s not doable.”

Source: Trump Rejects Idea of Paying Copyright Holders for AI Training: ‘It Just Doesn’t Work That Way’

Artists rage over changes to WeTransfer’s new terms of service

If you have ever needed to send a file larger than 20mb, you have probably used or at least heard of the online file-sending service WeTransfer. You may have also heard, earlier this month, a chorus of uproar on social media led by artists sharing screenshots of WeTransfer’s updated terms of service agreement that granted the company the right to use all materials transferred via their service, without any remuneration to the uploader or regard for their privacy.

Source: Comment | As artists rage over changes to WeTransfer’s terms of service, here’s why the company is now in its villain era

Creator Orgs Rally in Support of Copyright Case Vetter v. Resnik

A coalition of music creator advocacy organizations has filed an amicus brief in Vetter v. Resnik, a copyright case currently before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. The brief urges the Court to affirm that U.S. copyright termination rights apply worldwide—an interpretation that would significantly expand protections for songwriters and music creators in the global marketplace.

Source: Creator Orgs Rally in Support of Copyright Case Vetter v. Resnik

European Creators Slam AI Act Rollout, Warn Copyright Protections Are Failing

A broad coalition of groups representing European writers, performers, producers and publishers issued a joint statement on Wednesday, warning that Europe’s AI Act is not properly protecting copyrights. In a joint statement, groups, including those representing European actors, writers, journalists, film producers, musicians, translators, and visual artists, took aim at the implementation of the act, which was passed last year and hailed as the world’s first and most far-reaching government regulation of artificial intelligence technology.

Source: European Creators Slam AI Act Implementation, Warn Copyright Protections Are Failing

Universal Music Eyes AI Patents Under Liquidax Partnership

UMG today disclosed the high-profile tie-up as well as its aggressive focus on AI patents. Regarding the aggressive descriptor, the label has already filed 15 applications with the self-described IP asset management firm Liquidax. These applications concern technology at the intersection of music and collaboration, “AI threat protection,” multimedia content, health, rights management, and administration, the companies indicated.

Source: Universal Music Eyes AI Patents Under Liquidax Partnership

AI Search Is Growing More Quickly Than Expected

An estimated 5.6% of U.S. search traffic on desktop browsers last month went to an AI-powered large language model like ChatGPT or Perplexity, according to Datos, a market intelligence firm that tracks web users’ behavior. That pales beside the 94.4% that still went to traditional search engines like Alphabet’s Google or Microsoft’s Bing. But the percentage of traffic that went to browser-based AI search has more than doubled since June 2024,

Source: AI Search Is Growing More Quickly Than Expected

Google is reportedly pursuing AI licensing deals with news publishers

According to Bloomberg, Google is reportedly preparing to launch a “pilot project initially with about 20 national news outlets,” where the participants would license their content for Google’s AI tools. There isn’t much detail beyond the initial report, but it sounds similar to the strategy that OpenAI has employed. Over the past few years, OpenAI has struck licensing deals with major publishers like Hearst, Condé Nast, Vox Media, The Atlantic, and News Corp.

Source: Google is reportedly pursuing AI licensing deals with news publishers

Orfium awarded EU grant to lead research into detection in AI-generated music

This technology could enable proper attribution and compensation for original songwriters, composers and rightsholders, Orfium said. The project comes as the Gen AI music and audiovisual content  is expected to grow to€64 billion in 2028 from the current €3 billion, according to data from CISAC.

Source: Orfium awarded EU grant to lead research project into copyright detection in AI-generated music

Concord closes $1.76 billion asset-backed securities transaction to ‘fuel continued growth’

According to a statement released on Tuesday (July 22), Concord is issuing $1.765 billion in bonds via a series of new five-year, seven-year, and ten-year senior notes. The bonds are backed by Concord’s catalog of over 1.3 million music copyrights. The latest bond issuance represents Concord’s fourth securitization offering and is claimed to be “the largest and longest tenured asset-backed term securitization of music rights to date”.

Source: Concord closes $1.76 billion asset-backed securities transaction to ‘fuel continued growth’

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