The Licensing Letter

Licensing Law

Taylor Swift Reclaims Ownership of Her First Six Albums

By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief Taylor Swift has officially regained ownership of the master recordings of her first six albums, marking the end of a lengthy dispute over the rights to her early music. Swift announced the acquisition on her official website, calling it a long-awaited resolution. “All of the music I've ever made now belongs to me,” she wrote, describing … [Read more...] about Taylor Swift Reclaims Ownership of Her First Six Albums

Critics Say Europe’s ‘AI Act’ Fails to Protect Artists’ Copyright

By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief A key architect of EU copyright law says the legislation has failed to protect the copyright of writers, musicians and artists. Axel Voss is a German centre-right member of the European parliament, who played a major role in writing the EU's directive on copyright in 2019. However, he says the law was not intended to deal with generative AI … [Read more...] about Critics Say Europe’s ‘AI Act’ Fails to Protect Artists’ Copyright

Opinion: Grok 2 Shows We Need New Copyright Laws for AI and Social Media

By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief If you thought artificial intelligence posed a threat to your intellectual property before, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet. The AI model Grok, released by the Elon Musk-owned developer xAI, has already raised new concerns over copyright infringement since the Grok 2 update was released in August last year. Unlike other AI chatbots that … [Read more...] about Opinion: Grok 2 Shows We Need New Copyright Laws for AI and Social Media

Warner’s Claim to Superman Brand Hit With Legal Kryptonite

By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief The estate of Superman co-creator Joseph Shuster has filed a copyright lawsuit against Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). The suit comes as Warner and DC Comics are filming a new Superman film as a the anchor to a major reboot of the DC Universe. But the Shuster estate has revealed what it believes is some legal kryptonite, claiming that the … [Read more...] about Warner’s Claim to Superman Brand Hit With Legal Kryptonite

Gibson Guitar Fraud Shows Importance of Brand Protection Technology

By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief The recent seizure of 3,000 fake Gibson guitars highlights the need for IP security measures, says JPatton Business Development Manager Franco Diaz. The counterfeit guitars, had they been genuine, would have been worth $18.7 million, which would put a sizeable dent in the revenues of the legendary American guitar producer. "Brand owners … [Read more...] about Gibson Guitar Fraud Shows Importance of Brand Protection Technology

Angry Mom Sues Mattel For Porn Link on Wicked Doll Package

By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief Toymaker Mattel was sued this week by a mother for mistakenly putting a link to a porn site on the packaging for its Wicked line of dolls. The inclusion of the link was clearly an honest error on the part of Mattel, as the link for the Wicked Movie (wickedmovie.com) was very similar to that of the porn site. However, South Carolina mom … [Read more...] about Angry Mom Sues Mattel For Porn Link on Wicked Doll Package

Feds Seize 3,000 Counterfeit Gibson Guitars Worth $19 Million

By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief Federal officials say they have seized thousands of counterfeit Gibson electric guitars at the Los Angeles-Long Beach Seaport. Officials involved in the operation says it is the "largest counterfeit musical instrument seizure on record." The operation was conducted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers, assisted by Homeland … [Read more...] about Feds Seize 3,000 Counterfeit Gibson Guitars Worth $19 Million

Canadian News Media Open New Front in War Over AI and Copyright

By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief A coalition of Canada's top news organizations is suing OpenAI for using its content to train its ChatGPT generative AI bot. The coalition includes The Canadian Press wire service, Torstar, the Globe and Mail, Postmedia and CBC/Radio-Canada. For full disclosure, the author of this story worked at CBC/Radio Canada, and … [Read more...] about Canadian News Media Open New Front in War Over AI and Copyright

Gibson Issues Cease and Desist Against Trump Guitars

By Gary Symons TLL Editor in Chief US voters liked Donald Trump to elect him as the next president of the United States, but some licensors are not as fond of POTUS 47, thanks to a variety of copyright issues. This time the case involves the 130-year-old Gibson guitar company, which has issued a cease and desist order against Trump Guitars, the company behind a line of … [Read more...] about Gibson Issues Cease and Desist Against Trump Guitars