The Licensing Plate

College Stars Sue Over Likenesses in Video Games

One of the best parts about being the quarterback for Arizona State was the thrill that Sam Keller got whenever he played NCAA Football, the popular video game from Electronic Arts. Although Keller’s name did not appear in the game, there was little doubt that he was the inspiration for the ...

Nettwerk One and Fintage strike partnership

Sony/ATV Plans to Keep Rights to Invaluable Beatles Catalogue

Sony/ATV Music Publishing, co-owned by Michael Jackson and Sony, will keep control of Beatles songs following the pop singer's death, said a person with knowledge of the venture's plans. © 2009 Bloomberg News (full story)

EMI refuses ‘unagreed’ PRS streaming rates

Via MusicWeek: EMI Music Publishing says it will not be making its Anglo-American repertoire available for licensing at the new PRS for Music streaming rates, which have been subject to widespread criticism from the major publishers.

Men At Work Accused Of Plagiarizing Kids’ Song

Australian rock band Men at Work are fighting accusations that the melody of their 1980s international hit, "Down Under," was stolen from a popular children's song about a bird. Publisher Larrikin Music is suing for compensation from royalties earned by Men at Work. © 2009 Billboard.biz (full story)

Peter Jenner: Delayed thoughts on the latest Digital Britain P2P consultation.

...where Peter Jenner, emeritus president of the UK's International Music Managers' Forum (IMMF), shares his thoughts further to the publication of the UK government's Digital Britain report... © 2009 MIDEM(Net) Blog (full story)

Michael Jackson’s death won’t affect any Beatles-iTunes deal

Michael Jackson's position in long-time efforts to make the much-coveted Beatles catalog available digitally is one of the most misunderstood aspects in the very complicated negotiations. © 2009 cnet (full story)

Artist’s idyllic life devolves into battle over her burial

A year after the death of famed New England illustrator Tasha Tudor, the family battle over her estate, which seemed like it could not get any uglier, has taken a turn for the worse. © 2009 AP (full story)

Columbia balks with ‘Moneyball’

Just days away from the start of shooting, Columbia has taken Steven Soderbergh's baseball drama "Moneyball" starring Brad Pitt off the field. Pulling the plug this close to production is extremely rare for studios but sources said Columbia's co-chairman Amy Pascal wasn't comfortable with the script, which had changed considerably since ...

WB Clip Library Goes Live

Cue that old time rock 'n roll and tell Saatchi the news: Warner Bros. Consumer Products today launched the WB Clip Library, a creative research tool containing more than 1,000 of the studio's properties that can be searched by ad agencies, clearance firms or anyone else looking to streamline the ...

Random House Children’s Books sets up TV joint venture

Random House Children's Books is to create a new joint venture company to produce animated and live-action children’s and family entertainment for the cinema and television from RHCB published books and characters. © 2009 Bookseller.com (full story)

Salinger’s Last Stand

Shortly before an 11:30 a.m. hearing on June 17, the sergeant at arms appeared in the hallway outside of courtroom 24B in Manhattan federal court. “Plaintiff?” he called out. “Plaintiff? I guess the plaintiff isn't here?” he asked. The lawyers exchanged sideways glances. “Surprised?” one of them quipped. After all, ...

‘Rye’ Dispute Is Gateway to City’s Past

It sounded as if the judge did not want anyone to think she had never picked up a copy of J. D. Salinger’s “Catcher in the Rye” in her younger days. “I have read — ” Judge Deborah A. Batts of United States District Court in Manhattan started to say, and ...

Sony BMG attorney: ‘We were shocked’ by size of verdict; concedes $1.92 million award could be reduced on appeal

Usually when plaintiffs win huge damages at trial, they and their lawyers jump for joy, crowing loudly and happily that the defendant got exactly what she deserved. Not so the record labels after the stunning $1.92 million award against Jammie Thomas-Rasset was handed down by a Minneapolis jury late Thursday ...

Audio recordings/podcasts on the Google Book Search Settlement

Via Digitization 101: By Jill Hurst-Wahl, If you are interested in the Google Book Search Settlement, then you may be interested in this two items. First, the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC) did a webinar on April 14, 2009 entitled "The Authors Guild, AAP, Google Settlement: What Authors & Publishers Need to Know as ...

A Sequel in the Rye?

For the moment, J.D. Salinger has in hand an order prohibiting the distribution in the U.S. of 60 Years Later: Coming Through the Rye, which is either an unauthorized sequel to (i.e., derivative work, based on) and an invasion of the privacy of the author of The Catcher in the ...

US Copyright Law, King Lear, and Jammie Thomas-Rasset

Via Groklaw: By Pamela Jones, I was goofing off, looking up some information on Wikipedia on King Lear, and here's what struck me. If the current US Copyright Law had been in effect over Shakespeare, I think he could have been sued by many authors for copyright infringement for ...

Labels take BT Ireland to court over three strikes policy

It’s hotting up in Ireland, where the country’s second largest ISP BT Ireland is facing litigation from the four major labels, to force it to introduce a graduated response policy against illegal file-sharers. © 2009 Music Ally (full story)

U.K. Arrest In P2P Pre-Release Investigation

A 33-year-old man has been arrested in the U.K. in connection with a group leaking pre-release music on P2P file-sharing networks. He was arrested in Portsmouth following a joint enquiry by trade body the BPI and IFPI, in conjunction with the City of London Police and the Intellectual Property Office. It ...

The Parallel Universe of RIAA Lawsuits…

After a resounding, $1.92 million judgment against RIAA defendant Jammie Thomas-Rasset, defense lawyers are undoubtedly licking their wounds. In a post-case blog, attorney Ray Beckerman - not directly associated but a staunch opponent of RIAA legal tactics - described an RIAA-created 'parallel universe,' one in which "plaintiffs are over-lawyered, the ...