'Copyright Criminals' screenings... check for local listings...

COPYRIGHT CRIMINALS examines the creative and commercial value of musical sampling, including the related debates over artistic expression, copyright law, and money. Produced by University of Iowa professor Kembew McLeod and Benjamin Franzen, this documentary traces the rise of hip-hop from the urban streets of New York to its current status as a multibillion-dollar industry. Sampling, or riffing, is as old as music itself, but as technologies developed in the 1980s and ’90s that made it easier to sample existing sound recordings – and when record label company lawyers got involved – everything changed. Years before people started downloading music off the internet, hip-hop sampling sparked a debate about copyright, creativity and technological change, and the debate still rages today. more

Future of Music Coalition Summit 2009

It’s been nearly a decade since the digital music genie burst out of its bottle, changing the game for virtually everyone in the music ecosystem. So what comes next? Future of Music Policy Summit 2009 will examine this question through practical, musician-focused workshops, keynotes from leading artists, managers and policymakers and inspired panel discussions with the sharpest minds in the music/technology space ...more

What Does Sound Exchange Do?

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Petition To Bolster Artist Rights To Be Delivered To Obama

A letter to President Barack Obama and VP Joe Biden asking the administration to pursue policies supportive of the rights of artists has garnered nearly 7,000 electronic signatures, according to the Copyright Alliance.

"Artists and creators make important contributions not only to our society and culture, but also to our economy," the Copyright Alliance director of outreach Lucinda Dugger, said in a statement. "Increasingly, creators are finding their work misappropriated, reproduced and distributed without their knowledge, consent or benefit by those who believe intellectual property should be free for the taking. It is important that creators speak up about their works and how the principle of copyright empowers and provides incentive for creators to earn a living with their talents and ideas." more

Why ASCAP Licenses Local Bars & Restaurants –10 Things You Need to Know

Imagine this scenario.

A local bar or restaurant uses music to enhance the atmosphere and draw in customers. No one wants to sit in silence. And live music pulls in a nice crowd that spends money at the bar.

The owners never question the need for a liquor license. But it's a different story when it comes to the license required to play music under copyright.

The owners dispute the need to pay. They say music is not generating revenue for them. They try to push off responsibility to the band. They claim they can't afford a license that might amount to a few hundred dollars a year. They say they'll just stop playing music altogether. more...

Eminem's Music Publisher Takes Apple To Court

Eminem's music publisher wants a bigger slice from Apple.

Eight Mile Style LLC and a co-plaintiff, Martin Affiliated LLC, are suing Apple Inc., claiming they never authorized the use of 93 songs in a downloadable format on Apple's popular iTunes service.

The non-jury trial is expected to start Thursday in the rapper's hometown of Detroit, unless a settlement is reached Wednesday with the help of U.S. Magistrate Judge Virginia Morgan.

Eight Mile is also suing Aftermath Records, which controls the recordings in question, saying it didn't have the right to make deals on digital downloads. more

The Fray Sues Manager Over Copyrights To Songs

The Fray songwriting duo of Joseph King and Isaac Slade are suing their manager over the copyrights to their songs.

King and Slade wrote the 2005 hits "Over My Head (Cable Car)" and "How to Save a Life," and the current hit "You Found Me." They say manager Gregg Latterman obtained partial ownership of their songs when the band members signed a publishing agreement in July 2005  more