Pandora to pay $90m for pre-1972 recordings

Online radio provider Pandora is to pay out some $90 million to the three major record companies, Universal, Sony and Warners, along with ABKCO, as payment for use of pre-1972 recordings. In June, Sirius paid $210 million to resolve a long-running lawsuit over its broadcast of older tracks. Pandora will pay $60 million for the use of recordings through 2015, and another $30 million to cover through 2016. Last year, recording companies filed a lawsuit in New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan, accusing Pandora of violating the state’s copyright protections by using recordings of older songs without permission. The move followed the success of Flo & Eddie (The Turtles) in garnering copyright protection for sound recordings under state laws in both New York and California - although they failed to convince a judge in Florida on the same arguments.

Muse ‘concept copy’ claim thrown out

A New York judge has thrown out a lawsuit that targeted Warner Music over the 2009 Muse album 'The Resistance' in a case brought by American songwriter Charles Bollfrass who claimed that the last three tracks on that album, a trilogy under the title of 'Exogenesis', were copied from a concept he had devised in 2005 for a rock opera of the same name. Bollfrass had said he had contacted Muse but the band called the claims "complete nonsense", and denied having previous knowledge of Bollfrass or his 2005 project. The court ruled that the 'plot' was too abstract to constitute any sort of infringement of the songwriter's rock opera screenplay, even if the band had been previously exposed to the claimant's work.

http://www.the1709blog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/more-of-same-plot-thickens_1.html

New conference on copyright and live music in the UK

10th July: "The UK music industry - copyright, business models and the next steps for the Live Music Act" chaired by Lord Tim Clement Jones and Mike Weatherly MP and featuring, amongst others, Richard Hooper (Digital Rights Exchange), Geoff Taylor (BPI), Rob Hallet (AEG Live), Brian Message (Music Managers Forum), Will Page (PRS), Sandie Shaw (Featured Artists Coalition) and Alison Wenham (AIM). Morning only, Tuesday 10th July. £190 and some concessions apply. Organisers say that they will try to accommodate you even If you find the charge for tickets a barrier to attending. Book online here.

Village People decision expected soon

It seems that U.S. District Judge Barry Ted Moskowitz will be deciding Victor Willis’s claim against his music publisher sooner rather than later, possibly by the end of this month. The ex-lead singer of the Village People, is seeking to regain ownership of U.S. copyrights in the group’s hits, including “Y.M.C.A.,” “In the Navy” and “Go West” from music publisher, Scorpio Music SA. The claim is under 1976 US provisions that allow songwriters to regain control of their works after 35 years.