Copyright & Media Update 9/1/17

September 1, 2017

Surprise! Spotify Says They Don’t Owe Anything for ‘Mechanicals’

BY PAUL RESNIKOFF: Looks like Spotify has a totally different game plan for dealing with pesky publishers and songwriters.  Just this morning, Spotify’s lawyers decided that the ‘mechanical’ publishing license doesn’t pertain to them.  Which means that all of these lawsuits related to mechanical licenses are basically BS (at least from their perspective). READ MORE…

Sounds Great, But Sounds Familiar: Where To Draw The Line With Digital Sampling Of Sound Recordings?

BY STEPHEN CARLISLE: In the middle of 2016, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals muddied the waters on the legality of digital sampling of sound recordings through its opinion in VMG Salsoul, LLC v. Ciccone. There, for the first time, an appellate court held that the rule of de minimis non curat lex applied to digital sampling, in direct conflict with the ruling of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals on precisely the same point. The Sixth Circuit, in Bridgeport Music, Inc. v. Dimension Films, had adopted a bright-line rule: “Get a license or do not sample.” READ MORE…

Hollywood Docket: Hasbro v. DC; ‘Reading Rainbow’ Settlement; Disney Defends ‘Zootopia’

BY ERIQ GARDNER: A roundup of entertainment law news. Anyone confused that “Bumblebee” is both the name of a Transformers character and a DC Comics superhero? Hasbro apparently believes there’s room for confusion as it has brought a trademark lawsuit against DC Comics and Warner Bros. The complaint, filed in New York federal court, asserts that the defendants have begun using “Bumblebee” in connection with a line of “Super Hero Girls” action toys. READ MORE…

John Steinbeck’s relatives by marriage in copyright dispute

BY BRIAN MELLEY: Film remakes of “The Grapes of Wrath” and “East of Eden” fell apart because John Steinbeck’s son and daughter-in-law impeded the projects, the writer’s stepdaughter told jurors in federal court Tuesday. READ MORE…

Universal Music Group Valued at $23.5 Billion, Huge Industry Growth Predicted by Goldman Sachs Report

BY JEM ASWAD: Streaming has turned the music business into a booming industry that will lift many boats, according to a wildly optimistic new report from Goldman Sachs. The company predicts that worldwide revenues from streaming will reach a whopping $28 billion by 2030, a 16% jump from its previous estimates, in its just-released latest installment in its “Music in the Air” series.  READ MORE…

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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