Copyright & Media Update 2/7/2019

February 8, 2019

Industry Consensus Group Announces Board Members for Proposed Mechanical Licensing Collective

Billboard: The industry consensus group has announced board and committee memberships for the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) ahead of its March 21 application deadline to form the entity tasked with overseeing the blanket mechanical license formed by the Music Modernization Act. As well, the organization has lined up an impressive list of endorsements from industry trade groups, performance rights organizations and publishers. READ MORE…

CISAC to upgrade global music identifier system

MusicWeek: CISAC has enlisted Dublin-based software company Spanish Point Technologies to upgrade the global information system of the ISWC (International Standard Musical Works Codes). The ISWC system creates a unique code that identifies musical works and links them to their creators. It plays a key role in the functioning of the digital music market, allowing millions of creators to get efficiently and fairly paid for their works. READ MORE…

U.S. Copyright Royalty Board Officially Submits a 44% Songwriter Streaming Royalty Increase — Publishers Say a Spotify Challenge Would be ‘Declaring War’

Digital Music News: The U.S. Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) has officially published a significant streaming royalty rate increase for songwriters and publishers.  Will it be challenged? Last year, songwriters and publishers scored a major increase in streaming royalty rates. Now, that 44% rate bump has been officially published by the U.S. Copyright Royalty Board, though streaming services have 30 days to challenge the increase. Ahead of any challenge, major publishers are issuing stern warnings to Spotify, Amazon, and other streaming music services. READ MORE…

Musicians Attempt Class Actions Against UMG, Sony to Reclaim Rights to Recordings

Hollywood Reporter: The named plaintiffs in the UMG case are John Waite, a solo artist and former lead singer of the 1970s group The Babys, and Joe Ely, who has recorded 18 solo albums and also was a performer on works by The Clash and Rosie Flores. In the Sony case, David Johansen of The New York Dolls, John Lyon (known as Southside Johnny) and Paul Collins of The Beat are hoping to lead the charge. READ MORE…

Former NY Times Editor Faces Plagiarism Allegations

Plagiarism Today:  There was pretty much inevitable that Jill Abramson’s new book was going to ruffle some feathers. Entitled Merchants of Truth: Inside the News Revolution, the book takes a deep dive into the last decade of journalism, following both established institutions and upstarts as they struggle to adapt to the modern news landscape. 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. Follow us onTwitter, Facebook, Instagram, andYoutube. The information contained herein is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice or a substitute for legal counsel.

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