Plus: Warner gets removed from Ahmet Ertegun sexual assault litigation; more AI regulations

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each day since 21 Jun 2002

Today's email is edition #5295

Fri 6 Sep 2024

In today's CMU Daily: Back in July The 1975 were sued by the promoter of the Malaysian festival that was shutdown last year after Matty Healy criticised the country’s anti-LGBTQ+ laws during their performance. The band have responded saying that rules they are accused of breaking were actually just guidelines 


One Liners: news from Primary Wave Music, Reservoir Media, ACTRA RACS, Rimas Sports, SoundCloud, EQUA.LS, PROMUSICAE, PPL, BĂłgota Music Market, Dolby Laboratories, Mercury Prize +more


Also today: Warner Music and its Atlantic label have got themselves removed from a lawsuit filed by an artist manager who accuses Atlantic founder Ahmet Ertegun of sexual abuse and assault; the Australian government has proposed ten mandatory guardrails for AI, as the UK, US and EU sign the first legally binding treaty on AI which sets out “overarching safeguards”


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The 1975 respond to Malaysian festival promoter’s lawsuit

The 1975 have responded to the lawsuit filed against them by the promoter of the Malaysian festival where their performance caused controversy last year. It was not foreseeable, the band argue, that that controversy would result in the rest of the Good Vibes festival being shut down by the authorities. 


Future Sound Asia sued the band in July. The promoter argues that The 1975 broke strict rules governing their performance, which is why the authorities cut short their set and subsequently withdrew the entire event’s licence, resulting in the rest of the festival being cancelled. Therefore, it says, the band should be held liable for the costs associated with the cancellation.  


In their response, according to Law360, the band say that the rules referred to by Future Sound Asia are, on the “face of it”, simply guidelines used when promoters in Malaysia apply for approval for foreign artists to play in the country. 


However, those guidelines “do not impose any obligation on foreign artistes that is capable of being enforced against such foreign artistes”. On that basis, The 1975 reject the claim that “the revocation of the licence for Good Vibes 2023 was a foreseeable consequence of any conduct of the band members”.

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Horizon is CMU's weekly newsletter that brings you a hand-picked selection of early-stage career opportunities from across the music industry. Whether you're looking for your first job in music or you're ready to take a step up, Horizon is here to help you find your dream job faster.


👉 Click through to see the current selection.

ONE LINERS

Deals 

  • Primary Wave Music has partnered with the estate of Ric Ocasek on his music publishing catalogue and name and likeness rights. 
  • Reservoir Media has signed a publishing deal with country songwriter and producer Travis Heidelman. 
  • Canadian performer collecting society ACTRA RACS has partnered with Noctil to enhance its rights management and royalty distribution systems using automated metadata processing. 

Legal

  • The sports agency co-founded by Bad Bunny has been found in contempt by a federal judge in Puerto Rico for defying a court order to arbitrate claims against the Major League Baseball Players Association. 

Streaming, Digital, Broadcast & Retail

  • SoundCloud has officially launched Ascending, its global artist development programme designed to propel emerging artists to breakthrough success. 
  • EQUA.LS, a new music sharing iOS app, has launched with a feature that pays users for recommending releases to others. 

Other Industry News & Events

  • PROMUSICAE has reported that Spain’s recorded music revenue has increased by 16.6% to €249.8 million in the first six months of 2024, compared to the same period in 2023. 
  • PPL has published its gender and ethnicity pay gap report for 2024, providing an update on its Equity, Diversity And Inclusion strategy. 
  • Colombia's BĂłgota Music Market has announced more information about its thirteenth edition, set to take place from 9 Sep to 13 Sep at the Delia Zapata Olivella National Arts Center. 
  • Dolby Laboratories has announced that President and CEO Kevin Yeaman will host a fireside chat at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia And Technology Conference in San Francisco on 12 Sep. 

Artist News

  • English Teacher has won the 2024 Mercury Prize for 'Album Of The Year' with their record 'This Could Be Texas'. 
  • Linkin Park has announced a comeback album and tour, introducing Emily Armstrong of Dead Sara as their new co-vocalist.
👉 Read today's One Liners in full

Warner Music removed from lawsuit accusing Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun of sexual assault

A US judge has removed Warner Music and the current incarnation of its Atlantic Records label from a lawsuit filed by artist manager Jan Reog, who alleges that late Atlantic founder Ahmet Ertegun sexually abused and assaulted her multiple times while working with his label from the early-1980s to the mid-2000s. 


Warner Music Group Corp and Atlantic Records Group LLC were both targeted in Reog’s litigation, alongside the original Atlantic Records company, called Atlantic Recording Corp, and the Ertegun estate. Warner and the current Atlantic label argued that they can’t be liable for Ertegun’s conduct in the 1980s and 1990s, because they didn't exist at that time. 


“Defendants argue that because their companies did not exist during the period in which Ertegun allegedly injured plaintiff, they had no duty to protect plaintiff from Ertegun’s assaults”, Judge Gerald Lebovits writes in this judgement, adding, “This court largely agrees”. 



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AI regulation gains momentum, with new proposals in Australia, and a global treaty

The UK yesterday joined the US and the European Union in signing the first legally binding treaty on artificial intelligence, which sets out some basic safeguards regarding the development and use of AI which all signatory countries will ensure are achieved through their national laws. On the same day, the Australian government published proposals for “introducing mandatory guardrails for AI in high-risk settings”. 


Lawmakers all over the world are currently considering how to regulate AI, with the music industry particularly keen for legal protections in the context of generative AI. However, with AI being constantly used across borders, some kind of joined up thinking between countries is required. The new treaty signed by the UK, US and EU was coordinated by the Council Of Europe, though all countries are invited to participate. 


Confirming it was a signatory, the UK government said that the treaty “commits parties to collective action to manage AI products and protect the public from potential misuse”. UK Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood added that the agreement is “a major step to ensuring that these new technologies can be harnessed without eroding our oldest values, like human rights and the rule of law”.



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🌅 Horizon Future Leaders series - Simon Metcalfe Q&A

As part of our new Horizon Future Leaders series of interviews, we are connecting with the music industry’s next generation of leaders to gather candid advice and insights into their career journeys. 


Horizon is CMU's weekly newsletter that brings you a hand-picked selection of early to mid stage career opportunities from across the music industry, paired with insights and advice. Whether you're looking for your first job in music or you're ready to take a step up, Horizon is here to help you find your dream job faster. Horizon is focused on highlighting the best and most exciting roles we've seen and is made for people who are building their careers with ambition.


Getting started and progressing your career in the music industry can often feel overwhelming. Despite the wide range of positions and opportunities available, early-career professionals often face a daunting array of challenges. From the frustrating cycle of needing experience to be able to get the roles that help you build experience, to often intense competition from like-minded peers, the barriers in music can sometimes seem higher than in many other fields.


At CMU we spend a lot of time trying to explain and demystify the music business, and our Horizon newsletter is dedicated to helping the next generation of music leaders build and progress their careers. Our new series of Q&A interviews, Horizon Future Leaders, talks to rising professionals from across the industry: to hear firsthand how they started out and what they have learnt along the way, sharing practical tips and advice for anyone looking to build and own their future in the music business.


Our first Q&A is with Simon Metcalfe, artist manager of Kaisha and Events Manager at the Association Of Independent Music (AIM).



👉 Read Simon's Horizon Future Leaders series Q&A

RELEASES & TOURS

👉 Read today's Releases & Tours in full