INDIE Weekly

July 7, 2016

The INDIE Weekly is your source for news and creative ideas for independent artists and songwriters.

A New Apple Patent Could Block Fans From Taping At Shows

BY ANASTASIA TSIOULCAS: Sick of getting your view blocked at live shows by people holding up their phones? Apple was granted a patent yesterday for technology that can disable those cameras — at least in specific places.  The system mapped out in this patent would use infrared emitters to temporarily deactivate the photo and video capabilities on devices like mobile phones, laptops, stand-alone video or still cameras or any other “electronic device with an image sensor.” Venues, or those in charge of a given space, could post an infrared emitter to temporarily, and remotely, disable those recording functions on devices within the emission range. READ MORE

Justice Department Won’t Alter Music Industry Royalty Rules

BY BEN SISARIO: The music industry sent a wish list to Washington, but the response was not quite what it had expected.  Two years ago, Ascap and BMI, the industry’s two giant licensing clearinghouses, petitioned the Justice Department for changes to the regulatory agreements that have governed them since 1941. Those documents have not been changed in at least 15 years and, the agencies said, were in desperate need of updating to preserve the value of music in the digital age. READ MORE

Is DOJ 100% PRO Licensing Proposal a Google/YouTube Bullet Aimed at GMR?

BY DAVID CLOWERY: Last week the Department of Justice Anti-Trust division announced a further tightening of the antiquated and likely unconstitutional consent decrees that govern songwriter organizations.  Never mind that the 1941 consent decrees were put in place when most radio stations were owned by individuals and ASCAP was pretty much the only game in town.  Now we have massive media consolidation in the broadcast industry, previously unimagined monopolies like Google/YouTube and at least 5 PROs.   Yet the consent decrees are backwards now. They are still pointed at songwriters but benefit dominant firms like Google/YouTube,  Clear Channel, Pandora and Spotify. It’s insane. READ MORE

We hope you find these articles helpful and informative! Please submit suggestions or contributions for this column to [email protected].

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About Christian Copyright Solutions: CCS’s quest is to help churches and Christian ministries “do music right.”  CCS is an expert on church music copyrights and our primary focus is providing licensing and clear educational resources to churches, as well as representation, administration and advocacy for copyright owners. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Youtube. The information contained herein is for informational purposes only, and is not legal advice or a substitute for legal counsel.

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