Opinion analysis: Congress cannot subject states to suit for pirating and plundering copyrighted material — Writing at SCOTUSBlog, Howard Wasserman breaks down Monday’s decision in Allen v. Cooper, which considered whether states (and state entities) could be sued for copyright infringement. In a unanimous decision (though only a majority opinion), the Court held they could not. Opinion here.
Real-life ‘Glee’ choir wins song-stealing lawsuit — The Ninth Circuit published a decision in Tresona Multimedia, LLC, v. Burbank High School Vocal Music Association holding that, contrary to decades of industry expectations, there is no market for licensing music to be used as part of medleys.
National Recording Registry Class Produces Ultimate ‘Stay at Home’ Playlist — “Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden today named these and 20 other recordings as aural treasures worthy of preservation because of their cultural, historical and aesthetic importance to the nation’s recorded sound heritage. ‘The National Recording Registry is the evolving playlist of the American soundscape. It reflects moments in history captured through the voices and sounds of the time,’ said Hayden.”
Copyright Office Updated Fee Schedule Takes Effect Today — On March 20, new fees for Copyright Office services, including registration, went into effect. Check out the link for the new fee schedule to make sure you’re submitting the proper fee and avoid delays in processing.
Update on Friday’s Campaign to Support Artists During the Covid-19 Pandemic — Last week, I noted that indie music platform Bandcamp was waiving its cut of artist sales for 24 hours as a way to provide aid during this pandemic. Here, Bandcamp reports on the results of that waiver: over fifteen times in daily sales, for a total of $4.3 million in music and merch sold.