Have Songwriters Turned the Tide Against Big Tech? (Guest Column) — NMPA President David Israelite writes, “What’s astounding about this progress is the imbalance of influence is so dramatic. It is remarkable that anyone could stand up to the likes of Google, Amazon, Spotify and the other tech titans who amass more power every day. However, it proves that while these companies may harness data, music continues to strike a nerve that cannot be ignored. People don’t just care about the music that moves them, consumers also care about the people who create it, and everyone from governments to Gen Z are no longer buying the notion that tech companies must operate unchecked at the expense of musicians.”
The EU’s New Copyright Laws Won’t “Wreck the Internet†— Copyright expert Eleonora Rosati responds to some of the more hyperbolic claims about the EU Copyright Directive, which is only one last step from going into effect. She clarifies what is in the Directive, particularly the most contentious provision, Article 13 (now renumbered Article 17), and notes, “In all this, users might actually be better off than they are under the current system.”
Canadian ‘Pirate’ Set-Top Box Seller Must Pay CAD$5 Million — Torrent Freak‘s Ernesto reports on a recent settlement in Canada between several Canadian media companies and a seller of “fully-loaded” set-top boxes, which provide easy and powerful access to pirated films, television shows, music, and other copyrighted works.
Trump signs memo to stem counterfeit goods trafficking — “‘Third-party intermediaries, including online third party marketplaces, carriers, customs brokers, payment providers, vendors, and others involved in international transactions, can all be beneficial partners in combating trafficking in counterfeit and pirated goods,’ the memo states… The memorandum of understanding specifically targets the trafficking of such goods through third-party online marketplaces such as eBay, Amazon, and Alibaba, China’s top e-commerce marketplace, Peter Navarro, director of the White House National Trade Council, told reporters, according to the Associated Press.”
Spotify ad draws criticism over how it (under)pays musicians — Finally, theNextWeb‘s Rachel Kaser highlights a Twitter thread from musician David Lowery, who responded to a Spotify ad by pointing out that “Spotify streams earn artists exceptionally little money. Most of Spotify’s money goes elsewhere, including to its very pricey offices, and it’s currently appealing the rates set by the Copyright Royalty Board in an effort to pay even less.”