Despite marketing itself as a law-abiding and musician-friendly service since its launch in 2006, Spotify’s latest lawsuit settlement has helped unmask its less than aboveboard practices. Several months ago, the National Music Publisher’s Association (NMPA) sued the popular music streaming service for failure to properly obtain mechanical licenses for a significant portion of its library […]
Tag Archives: copyright
Hip-Hop Legends Afrika Bambaata and Soulsonic Fight For Their Copyrights
Hip-hop would not be where it is today but for the pivotal roles played by Bronx-based hip-hop legends Afrika Bambaata and Soulsonic Force.They put themselves on the map in the 1980s by releasing iconic tracks such as “Planet Rock,” “Looking for the Beat,” and “Renegade Funk” with record label Rhino Entertainment. Even today, big names […]
Batmobile Copyright Case Races Towards Supreme Court
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Mark Towle recently petitioned the Supreme Court following an unfavorable decision from the 9th Circuit regarding his dispute with DC Comics. The dispute involves the iconic crime-fighting vehicle, the “Batmobile,” from the 1960s TV Show and 1989 movie, “Batman.” Until he was sued and enjoined, Towle, a mechanic from California, […]
Thrill of the Fight: Huckabee Defends use of “Eye of the Tiger” at Kim Davis Rally
Rude Music Inc., owned by Frankie Sullivan, is suing yet another politician for copyright infringement. The music company sued Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee for copyright infringement after he used the company’s song, “Eye of the Tiger,” at a rally in support of Kim Davis. Ms. Davis, the now infamous Kentucky clerk, was jailed after […]
The First Amendment to Aid Copyright Enforcement?
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Rightscorp is a company that detects copyright infringement on behalf of companies like Warner Bros., by monitoring peer-to-peer file sharing. In March, John Blaha filed the suit that initiated the current class lawsuit against Rightscorp, Warner Bros., and BMG Rights Management. Blaha, on behalf of the class action participants, argues that […]
A Blurred Line No Longer
According to Law360 and the Hollywood Reporter, on Tuesday, a jury found that Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams violated Marvin Gaye’s copyright it “Got to Give It Up” in their creation of the hit song, “Blurred Lines.” After more than a year of litigation, and two and a half days of jury deliberation, Thicke and Williams have been […]
TiVo: The New Aereo?
According to the Hollywood Reporter, after declaring Chapter 11 bankruptcy, Aereo auctioned off its assets last week, in an effort to recover funds to repay $4.2 million of various liabilities. Interestingly, no one bought the infamous antennas that were the heart of Aereo’s business model. Rather RPX Corporation bought the company’s patents for $225,000; Alliance Technology […]
Blurred Lines Update
And the fight continues…. According to Law360, the lawsuit began in August 2013 when the now defendants (Robin Thicke, Pharrell Williams, and rapper T.I.) asked the court for a declaratory judgment to prove their, song “Blurred Lines,” did not infringe Marvin Gaye’s “Got to Give It Up.” This strategic move backfired, as they now find themselves […]
Freeplay Music: Infringement Victim or Copyright Troll?
According to Variety, Freeplay Music is suing four multichannel networks (MCNs) on YouTube. These include, AwesomenessTV, Big Frame (owned by AwesomenessTV), BroadbandTV, and Disney’s Maker Studios. Freeplay, a music licensing company, claims that these channels have infringed its copyrights in the the music it licenses to consumers. The Company also alleges that the defendants refused to negotiate […]
Left Shark Dispute
“Left Shark” became an Internet phenomenon after Katy Perry’s Super Bowl half-time show earlier this month. In fact, Perry now is seeking to assert a copyright claim in the character (an out-of-sync back-up dancer), according to TechDirt. After the show, Fernando Sosa sought to sell 3D printed versions of Left Shark online. Shortly thereafter, Perry’s […]