Unlike the rest of the developed world, American radio broadcasters are unique in that they pay nothing in performers’ royalties when they play music on their stations. Although this has been true since radio began in the U.S., many Americans are surprised to learn that this is the case and, according to polling, believe it’s unfair. That’s because it is ...
When one files an allegation of fraud in court, one must present evidence. No, I am not referring to that freak show of litigations about the 2020 election that have been tossed out by over fifty federal courts, including the Supreme Court. I’m talking about YouTube. As discussed in this July post, composer Maria Schneider leads a class action lawsuit ...
Recent reports that Neil Young is no longer asking or insisting that the Trump campaign stop using his music, but is instead suing Trump for America for copyright infringement, highlights the extent to which this longstanding controversy between artists and politicians has heated up in recent years. It is a subject that overlapped recently in the Senate IP Subcommittee hearing ...
When Viacom et al, in 2014, settled their copyright infringement suit against YouTube, that outcome had significant consequences for millions of independent creators. For one thing, the settlement left YouTube and other major platforms to over-emphasize the district court’s summary judgment that the DMCA had fully shielded the video platform against any liability in that case—this despite the appellate court ...
Emergencies have a way of shining a bright light on flawed thinking and dumb ideas. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed latent and embarrassing American weaknesses, from the highest levels of government right down to the grocery stores, where Karen and Ken refuse to follow basic public safety rules. All in, it’s been a rather stunning demonstration of national incompetence laid ...
