iWorld
MySpace to launch enhanced copyright protection tool
MUMBAI: Social networking site MySpace.com, has announced plans to launch a new tool for copyright holders that makes it even easier and faster to remove content they allege is unauthorised.
The tool is being tested with US broadcaster Fox and Major League Baseball (MLB) Advanced Media and will be expanded to include other verified copyright holders.
The new tool will allow copyright holders to digitally flag any user-posted video containing content that they own and allege is unauthorized. MySpace will promptly remove all videos flagged by a copyright holder. In addition, MySpace has implemented a proprietary system to block videos that are removed at the request of a copyright owner from being re-uploaded to the site by other users.
MySpace CEO and co-founder Chris DeWolfe says, “MySpace is firmly committed to protecting copyright holders’ rights. This is another important step we’re taking to ensure that those who create and own content are able to protect it.”
The new tool will allow MySpace to more efficiently implement its long-standing policy against users uploading third-party copyrighted material by automating the ‘notice and take down’ process that has been in existence since MySpace’s inception.
In compliance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, MySpace has enforced copyright protection through a traditional ‘notice and takedown’ process whereby copyright holders inform MySpace of infringing content and MySpace promptly removes it from the site. With the new tool, MySpace will make it even easier for copyright holders to identify and take down user-posted videos containing unauthorized content.
The announcement comes on the heels of MySpace’s landmark licensing deal with Gracenote, which implemented fingerprinting technology to help prevent unauthorised music from being posted by users to the site.
iWorld
Britney Spears sells music catalogue rights
Pop princess bags multi-million deal to hand over hits to Primary Wave
ALIFORNIA: Britney Spears is officially trading her masters for a massive payday. The pop icon has reportedly sold the rights to her extensive music catalogue to Primary Wave, an independent music publisher known for housing the legacies of legends like Whitney Houston and Stevie Nicks.
According to legal documents obtained by TMZ, the deal was inked on December 30. While the exact figure remains under wraps, sources suggest the payout is “in the ballpark” of the $200 million agreement Justin Bieber struck with Hipgnosis back in 2023. It seems Britney decided it was finally time to see some “Gimme More” in her bank account.
The 44-year-old superstar has been a permanent fixture on the global charts since her 1998 debut, “…Baby One More Time.” This new deal covers a treasure trove of millennial anthems, including:
Toxic
Oops!… I Did It Again
Circus
I’m a Slave 4 U
While the news has sent fans into a frenzy, the parties involved are keeping things quiet for now. Primary Wave has not yet responded to requests for comment, and Spears herself has stayed silent on social media.
For an artist who has spent decades under intense public and legal scrutiny, this move represents a significant shift in how her musical legacy will be managed. By handing over the keys to her kingdom, Britney is the latest in a long line of heavyweights to treat their songbook as a high-value asset rather than just a trip down memory lane.
