Weekly Copyright Update

May 12, 2016

What’s Next for Pandora: Evolution of Digital Broadcasting Giant

BY SHEREEN CHEONG: Of late, the sustainability of streaming giant Pandora has become questionable. Losses are fivefold what they were a year ago, even though revenue has grown beyond a billion dollars.1 The service, as ever, depends upon its free ad supported streaming tier. Maximizing revenue, a strategy that ultimately guided the company’s growth, is being now reexamined in favor of cost minimization—although given the evidence presented below this would appear to be merely an aspiration more than a matter of policy. READ MORE…

Music Downloads May Have as Little as 4 More Years

BY AMY X. WANG: All signs point to music heading toward a post-iTunes world. Ownership of songs and albums, which saw its own transformation from physical to digital in the 2000s, is now steadily being edged out by massive streaming catalogs and monthly subscription models—a shakeup confirmed by recent reports from the Recording Industry Association of America and the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, among other industry groups. READ MORE…

Amazon Launches New YouTube Rival

BY BILLBOARD STAFF: Amazon has launched a self-publishing platform for video creators, a move that could make money for the company and budding filmmakers in the same way YouTube has created a community of online celebrities. Amazon Video Direct, which kicked off Tuesday, shares money with video creators through the method they choose: ads, subscriptions, rentals, or simply by the number of hours streamed to tens of millions of subscribers of Amazon Prime. READ MORE…

Copyright “Notice and Takedown” System Needs Fixing

BY RANDOLPH J. MAY: Internet streaming is fast becoming the most popular way to access music and movies. Yet a massive amount of online piracy continues to cause substantial harm to copyright holders. Infringing audio and video content can also be accessed readily through search engines and on user-uploaded websites. … In order to adequately secure copyrights in music, movies and other media, the notice and takedown system needs to be fixed to comport with today’s digital realities. 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.