Copyright & Media Update 11/2/18

November 2, 2018

Remasters Aren’t Brand-New Copyrights, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Reaffirms

Paul Resnikoff: Digital remasters involve a lot of painstaking work by dedicated sound engineers.  But they don’t create a brand-new copyright, according to a decision reaffirmed by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals this week. READ MORE…

Twenty Years of the DMCA: Notice and Takedown in Hindsight (Part II)

Terrica Carrington: The consensus over the years seems to be that the DMCA is not working as it was intended to. The balance that Congress envisioned has not come to fruition. Instead, copyright owners struggle to keep pace with the speed and volume of online piracy, sending hundreds or thousands of take down notices relating to the same content on the same site. READ MORE…

Music Modernization Act Was Verse One, the Rest of the Song Is Yet to Be Written (Guest Post)

Michael Huppe: The signing of the Music Modernization Act earlier this month will be remembered as a moment when the industry came together to modernize music laws and bring artists a step closer to being paid fairly. But I hope it’s a lot more than that. READ MORE…

Brammer Appeals Unsound Ruling in Otherwise Simple Copyright Case

David Newhoff: In June, I wrote about the deeply flawed ruling in Brammer v. Violent Hues after the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia handed down some rather inscrutable opinions about an otherwise straightforward copyright infringement case. READ MORE…

South Africa must not squander ‘once in generation chance to update online music laws’

ICMP: ICMP has called on the South African government to resolve issues of concern as the country’s copyright overhaul enters its final stages. South Africa’s Copyright Amendment Bill – projected to be finalised in November – will impact how online music is governed for many years to come and significantly affect how music publishers and songwriters are rewarded for their work and investment. READ MORE…

Looks Like Spotify’s Crackdown on Family Plan Abusers Is Working

DANIEL SANCHEZ: Apparently a lot of people have been using the ‘Family Plan loophole’ to get cut-rate Spotify Premium. So far this year, Spotify has lost a lot of money. In its second quarter 2018 report, the company revealed a steep deficit of $460 million, up 133.1% over Q1 2018.  The deficit reveals Spotify has burned through $584 million. The company projects its total 2018 losses will reach over a billion. READ MORE…

The Tune Is Changing in the Digital Music Landscape

Anthony S. Volpe and Savannah G. Merceus : Prior to 2018, the last significant piece of copyright legislation addressing digital developments in music was the 1995 Digital Performance Right in Recordings Act (DPRA), see Digital Performance Right In Sound Recordings Act Of 1995, 109 Stat. 336. In light of the rise of digital music providers, the DPRA recognized the need for a public performance royalty for the digital transmission of sound recordings. READ MORE…

Plagiarism in Pop Culture: Coco

Jonathan Bailey: Coco is a 2017 film animated film by Pixar Studios that achieved both critical and commercial success. It won two Academy Awards, including Best Animated Feature, and became the 15th highest-grossing animated film of all time. However, the film had one theme that wasn’t widely reported: Plagiarism. 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, 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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