The Changing Nature of Sound Recording Rights

The Evolving Music Ecosystem Conference: Day Three Recap

Continuing Conversations on Performance Rights: Political Campaign Music

Blurred Lines: Uncertainty in the Legal Framework of Music Sampling

“You Own It, You Better Never Let It Go”: Distinguishing Permissible Borrowing from Copyright Infringement in Music

Can alterations in the sonic bed, piano figures, guitar and string lines in a musical composition save it from damages for copyright infringement of the original? The High Court of New Zealand rules “No” in its decision Eight Mile Style, LLC v. New Zealand National Party. The dispute arose after the New Zealand National Party […]

Hearing and Healing: Indigenous Artists Talk Music and Reconciliation at the 2017 Global Forum Breakfast 

Last month, I had the pleasure of attending Canadian Music Week’s 2017 Global Forum Networking Breakfast – a Music Canada sponsored event that celebrates and recognizes individuals and organizations in the music community who are using music to make the world a better place. This year’s topic was “The Power of Music: Indigenous Artists Discuss […]

Not-So-Compulsory Licence: a Proposed (and Rejected) Solution to Copyright Infringement in Derivative Musical Works

In a recent MTV news article, author Miles Raymer opined over the “hopelessly broken” state of the US copyright system. While such a sweeping statement clearly oversimplifies the state of copyright law in the digital era, there may be some truth to it. Raymer focuses particularly on the tension between an ever-increasing market for derivative works […]

Stairway to Infringement

Intro: “The Hook” This summer, an American jury found that “Stairway to Heaven” [hereafter Stairway] rockers Led Zeppelin did not infringe the song “Taurus” [hereafter Taurus], performed by the band Spirit. The plaintiff, Randy Wolfe—or rather, a trustee for the trust which owns the late Wolfe’s copyright—was Spirit’s songwriter, guitarist and vocalist, and the copyright […]

Is This What it Sounds Like when Doves Cry: The PRINCE Act and Canadian Privacy Law

The once proposed PRINCE Act [the Act] has now been set aside after being rushed through the Minnesota state senate. The Act sought to create a new property right in a person’s persona. Canada and the United States both recognize and protect personality rights through similar common law torts. The US appears to also seek […]

2016 CMW Global Forum Breakfast Focuses on the Power of Music to Heal Communities Affected by War and Conflict

How can we use music to heal and inspire communities in the aftermath of war, conflict, and division? That was the topic of this year’s Global Forum Networking Breakfast, an interactive panel session sponsored by Music Canada and one of the marquee events of Canadian Music Week 2016, held on May 6th at the Sheraton […]