Copyright & Media Update – 8/26/16

August 26, 2016

Songwriters Urge Artists to Contact Label Over Royalty Debate

BY ED CHRISTMAN: On the heels of a critical letter to Sony Music Entertainment regarding the company’s participation in the rate-setting procedure of the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB), the Nashville Songwriters Association International has now begun contacting Sony artists and songwriters, urging them to express concerns to their label group. (The CRB is part of the Library Of Congress and sets rates for some statutory music licenses.) For a full explanation read more here…

Sleigh Bells Hit Demi Lovato With Copyright Lawsuit

BY GERRICK D. KENNEDY: Demi Lovato is the latest artist to be slapped with accusations of lifting from someone else’s work — and to get sued for it. More than nine months after indie noise-pop duo Sleigh Bells publicly called out the pop singer over alleged similarities between a track from her latest album and one of its own, the band has turned to court. READ MORE…

Why Many Talented Musicians Will Never Be Successful

BY ANTHONY CERULLO: Even without seeing his full face, it’s a fair assumption that the man pictured above is none other than Bono from U2. Say what you will about the man, but it’s hard to deny his success. The quest to finding success like Bono’s – or any other famous musician, for that matter – is a difficult one. The reasoning behind this is because the definition of success is different for many people. Some believe that all it takes is maintaining a standard of excellence. READ MORE…

Photographer Seeks $1 Billion from Getty Images

BY ASSOCIATED PRESS: An accomplished photographer who lets the public use thousands of her images of America for free has sued the Getty Images photo agency for more than $1 billion, saying it is improperly selling her work to customers and threatening those who don’t pay. The photographer, Carol Highsmith, whose work has been featured in books, newspapers and magazines and on two postage stamps, said she became aware that Getty was selling her work in December, when she received a letter from an affiliated company accusing her of copyright infringement for using one of her own photographs on the website of her nonprofit group, the This is America Foundation. The letter demanded a settlement payment of $120. READ MORE…

About Christian Copyright Solutions: CCS’s quest is to help churches and Chris tian 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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