Weekly Copyright Update

October 30, 2015

Unpaid/Unlicensed Spotify Songwriter Royalties Demands Investigation

Spotify’s $100 Million Problem

THE TRICHORDIST: Billboard magazine estimates that Spotify and other streaming services have as much as $100 million dollars in unpaid songwriter royalties and documents provided to us confirm that Spotify had more than $140 million in “unpaid fees to copyright owners” at the end of 2014. While these kind of “unmatched” and unpaid balances are a long standing problem throughout the music business, Spotify’s unpaid royalties are different because it appears to be the result of not having licenses for these songs. If true this means Spotify broke the law.

YouTube Says They’ll Pay Creators During Premium Free Trial

BY JAMES VINCENT: YouTube’s new subscription service, YouTube Red, launched this week, and content creators are worried it will cost them money. Although the $9.99 monthly fee YouTube is charging users to skip ads will be split with content creators when the service is in full swing, YouTubers are worried they won’t get paid during the service’s 30-day free trial. The video platform has responded to these fears today, assuring video makers they’ll still get paid even when YouTube Red users are riding for free.

Government Sets Taylor Swift Royalties (and Everyone Else’s)

Regulators will soon decide how much digital-radio services must pay record labels for the right to broadcast songs through 2020. BY BARTLETT CLELAND: You probably aren’t aware that a division of the Library of Congress will decide the future of American music. A three-judge panel known as the Copyright Royalty Board will soon announce how much digital-radio services must pay record labels for the right to broadcast their songs through 2020. The survival of music streaming services, the fastest-growing channel for content distribution, could depend on the outcome.

Sony Files Copyright Claim Against Stock Video They Licensed

BY MITCH MARTINEZ: For the past few years, people have been contending with more and more false copyright claims and ID matches on services such as YouTube. While these copyright claims often involve an audio match of copyrighted music, sometimes it is the visual content that is in question. Whether it’s still photography or motion imagery, your visual content can be flagged, blocked, or removed due to a copyright dispute. If you have original content on YouTube, this could happen to you.

CCC Announces Enhancements Content Workflow Solution

DANVERS, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. (CCC), a global licensing and content solutions organization, has announced enhancements to its cloud-based RightFind™ content workflow solution that offers immediate, easy access to a full range of Scientific, Technical, and Medical (STM) content.

“We’ve worked closely with customers around the globe to make sure we’re delivering comprehensive solutions that accelerate scientific research,” said Lauren Tulloch, Director, Corporate Products and Services, CCC. “These new enhancements bring content directly into researchers’ workflow without interruption.”

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 Pinterest. The information contained herein is for informational purposes only, and is not legal advice or a substitute for legal counsel.