The RIAA Responds: “Our Efforts Have Made a Real Difference…”
Digital Music News made few friends at the RIAA last month by publishing the organization’s entire 2008 IRS tax filings. The paperwork revealed a salary of more than $2 million for CEO Mitch Bainwol, and even a $300,000 annual take-home for the PR guy. But it also included details of gargantuan legal costs, including massive payouts to outside law firms [...]
Exclusive: Motion to Freeze Limewire Assets Denied…
The RIAA will not be freezing Limewire assets after all, according to a judge’s order.
Lessig Responds: We Are Not Undermining Copyright…
Is ASCAP really assailed by ‘copyleft’ commies, or merely fighting progressive copyright thinking? The performance rights organization recently rallied its members to fight against the influence of the EFF, Creative Commons, and Public Knowledge, arguing that these groups are seeking to undermine the sanctity of copyright.
Judge Sides With Google In $1 Billion Viacom Suit…
Is YouTube ripping off Viacom – and the broader media industry, for that matter? Not according to US District judge Louis Stanton, who quickly dismissed Viacom’s billion-dollar lawsuit in summary judgement Wednesday afternoon.
Sad But True: Why Companies Skip the Royalties…
Performance rights organizations frequently catch a bad reputation for cracking down on violators – whether the corner coffee shop or a major venue. But beyond the PRO debate, publishers frequently find their content misused across a variety of licensing types (synch and mechanicals included). But why do companies so often forget to cross this ‘t’?
Major Publishers Also Suing LimeWire…
After suffering a major defeat against the RIAA, LimeWire is now battling another suit from major publishers. EMI Music Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Bug Music, MPL Music Publishing, Peermusic, and the Richmond Organization are all listed as plaintiffs in court documents, a group coordinated by the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA). The suit [...]
RIAA Asks Court to Shutter LimeWire File-Sharing Service
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on Friday asked a federal judge for a permanent injunction that would shut down the LimeWire file-sharing service, and a court hearing scheduled for Monday could decide the service’s fate, according to published reports. A federal court last month granted summary judgment in the labels’ copyright infringement lawsuit against LimeWire and its founder, [...]
Warner Music Tanks Ahead of Insider Trading Probe…
Shares of Warner Music Group (WMG) dropped more than 18 percent to $4.96 on Tuesday, a sudden nosedive that appears linked to an insider trading trial in Paris. WMG’s “unusual movement” was far worse than the broader market, and only one stock – Anadarko Petroleum (APC) – fared worse by the bell. The Dow dropped 1.11 percent, and WMG previously [...]
SoundExchange Starts Damage Control: $200 Million Balance Suddenly $39 Million…
After confirming an outstanding balance of $200 million in unpaid royalties to Digital Music News, SoundExchange is now shifting its calculations. In response to growing concern over the large amount of unpaid funds, SoundExchange executive Bryan Calhoun is backing a drastically-reduced, $39 million unpaid figure – yet, he has declined to offer any documentation or direct discussion to Digital Music [...]