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1: Gaming Co. Says Travis Scott Stole Their Designs And Sold Them As His Own
First off today, Nolan Strong at AllHipHop reports that KontrolFreek, the makers of video game controller joystick covers, has filed a lawsuit against rapper Travis Scott alleging both copyright and trademark infringement.
In the run-up to an April 2020 Fortnite concert, Scott began marketing merchandise related to the event. That merchandise included a pair of thumbstick covers that were a part of his Cactus Jack brand. The lawsuit claims he approached KontrolFreek about producing the covers but the two sides did not reach a deal. Despite that, ControlFreek alleges Scott marketed the covers anyway (having them manufactured elsewhere) but using modified versions of images owned by KontrolFreek and also copying elements of their packaging.
KontrolFreek further alleges that the similarities caused confusion as to the source of the covers and when customers noted the Cactus Jack ones were of a lower quality, took their frustrations out on KontrolFreek. KontrolFreek wants to seize all profits collected from the venture as well as additional damages.
2: BBC & ITV Reveal Settlement to Shut Down UKTVEverywhere IPTV Service
Next up today, Andy Maxwell at Torrentfreak writes that the British IPTV service UKTVEverywhere has agreed to shut down following a settlement with the BBC and ITV.
The service became famous for offering access to UK channels that, while covered by a regular TV license inside the country, are often not available easily elsewhere. This drew the attention of various celebrities including Lord Sugar and Piers Morgan, who spoke in favor of the service.
However, the service was not operating legally and had already removed both the BBC and ITV channels after they raised trademark concerns over the use of their logo. That didn’t stop the battles between the two and now UKTVEverywhere has agreed to shutter completely, forwarding its domain to BritBox, a streaming service operated by the two groups.
3: ‘Stream-Ripping’ Piracy Has Increased Nearly 15 Times Over in the Last Three Years
Finally today, Will Richards at NME reports that a new study from PRS For Music found that “stream-ripping” websites have grown by 1390% between 2016 and 2019 and have become the biggest form of piracy in the UK by a landslide.
According to the study, a stream-ripping service is one that allows users to obtain a permanent copy of content that is streamed online. Such sites deal with both audio and audiovisual content, making it a concern for any creator that licenses content through streaming platforms.
The study goes on to say that YouTube is the most-targeted service for stream-ripping with Spotify as the second. According to PRS For Music, this is especially worrisome since streaming royalties now make up 20% of their members’ income and that amount is expected to grow.
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