3 Count: Not Happy

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1: Irving Azoff Demands YouTube Remove Pharrell, the Eagles

First off today, Lucas Shaw at Bloomberg reports that Irving Azoff, a music executive and head of Global Music Rights, has demanded that YouTube remove songs he controls the license to from their service, including the new YouTube Music Key music streaming product.

Azoff represents dozens of popular artists including Pharrell Williams, John Lennon and The Eagles. According to Azoff, there is no evidence that YouTube has a license to play the music he represents. YouTube, however, says that it has struck the necessary deals with publishers and collection societies to play the music.

So far, Google has refused to remove the tracks, which number approximately 20,000. This could mean that Azoff could be planning a lawsuit or may be using this as a negotiation tactic for higher rates.

2: Netflix to Launch in Australia, New Zealand in March

Next up today, Byron Kaye at Reuters reports that online TV and movie streaming service Netflix has announced that it will be launching in Australia and New Zealand in March 2015, a move that had been widely expected.

Netflix did not announce pricing or the size of the library. However, it is expected that it will be more expensive than the $8.99 it is in the U.S. and likely have a more limited library.

Netflix has been controversial in Australia because many users in the country use VPNs to access the U.S.-based service illegally. Rightsholders have said they hope that Netflix will block VPNs when it opens up an official service in the country.

3: University Fines Students for Pirating Movies, TV Shows

Finally today, Ben Grubb at The Age reports that the University of New South Wales in Australia has begun issuing fines to students that engage in piracy on the campus’ network.

The fines, which are worth up to $1,000, go to improving “student amenities” and not to content creators. The school also said that it will disconnect suspected file sharers for up to one semester.

The measure has been controversial with members of the content industry largely supporting it and students and users decrying it. However, in 2014 only four people, three students and one staff member, were penalized under the system. All four had their wi-fi access suspended and two were fined $480 each.

Other universities in the country are known to disconnect suspected pirates but do not issue fines. However, in most cases, disconnections are very rare.

Suggestions

That’s it for the three count today. We will be back tomorrow with three more copyright links. If you have a link that you want to suggest a link for the column or have any proposals to make it better. Feel free to leave a comment or send me an email. I hope to hear from you.

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