Mixcloud founder: here’s what DJs need to know about music copyright — “When streamers and DJs are hit by music copyright takedowns on other platforms like Facebook or Twitch, it’s because those platforms have not – for whatever reason – secured the right music licenses. They are not paying the artists that are getting played. . . . At Mixcloud, we have invested time, energy and resources to get the right licenses. That is why music takedowns do not happen on Mixcloud.”
On the Page: Who Invented Oscar Wilde [Audio] — Pilar Alessandra talks with writer David Newhoff about his new book, which explores some of the paradoxes inherent in copyright and creativity.
Google signs copyright agreements with six French newspapers — “The announcement follows months of bargaining between Google, French publishers and news agencies over how to apply revamped EU copyright rules, which allow publishers to demand a fee from online platforms showing extracts of their news. The world’s biggest search engine initially fought against the idea of paying publishers for the content, saying their websites benefited from greater traffic brought by Google.”
Is it Time for a DMCA Update? Senator Tillis Says Yes — “In 2019 and 2020, Tillis, in his capacity as chair of the Senate IP subcommittee, held a series of hearings focused on known problems with several DMCA provisions and has stated his intent to put forward a legislative fix for which there may be bipartisan support — and controversy.” Last week, the Senator sent a letter to stakeholders seeking input on potential tweaks to sections 512, 1201, and 1202.
Six Artists Are Suing a Property Owner for Painting Over Beloved Murals at a Famed San Francisco Gay Bar During Pride Month — “For the past three years, San Francisco gay bar the Stud, the city’s oldest, was fronted by colorful murals with suggestive titles like ‘Stepping Out’ and ‘Head First,’ which had been painted on the bar’s distinctive navy exterior to celebrate Pride Week in 2017. . . . On June 20, during Pride Month 2020, its new owners whitewashed them before painting the building over in beige. Now, six artists are suing the property owner, named only as City Commercial Investments, for damages under the Visual Artists Rights Act (VARA), a law that has been cited in high-profile cases like the suit against the owners of the 5Pointz graffiti mecca in Queens, New York, in which a judge awarded a group of artists $6.75 million after their works were destroyed by a property developer.”