3 Count: 7 Rings

Have any suggestions for the 3 Count? Let me know via Twitter @plagiarismtoday.

1: Ariana Grande Settles Lawsuit Claiming She Stole ‘7 Rings’

First off today, Jonathan Stempel at Reuters reports that Ariana Grande has settled a lawsuit with the New York musician Josh Stone over Grande’s 2019 hit song 7 Rings.

Stone filed the lawsuit alleging that 7 Rings was an infringement from his song You Need It, I Got It, which he claims to have pitched to Universal Music Group at a meeting attended by one of Grande’s producers. He further supported his case by claiming that “highly regarded musicology experts” had concluded that the two songs shared the same beat, hook, lyrics and more.

The terms of the settlement were not disclosed but the judge has dismissed the case following it. It remains to be seen if Stone will be added as a songwriter to the track.

2: ‘Evangelion’ Creators Warn Against Pirating With 10-Year Prison Reminder

Next up today, Jeff Yeung at Hypebeast reports that anime fans excited about the release of Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time are also being given an extra warning as the company behind the film, has issued a strong statement against pirating it.

Through their publishers and distributors, Toei and Toho, the team behind Evangelion are warning users that pirating the film could result in a 10-year prison sentence and a fine of up to $96,900. They further said that they are prepared to take legal action starting immediately.

However, the company did offer some fan service along with the threat, releasing two teaser clips for the movie.

3: Sports Piracy Costs $28.3B Per Year, Report Shows

Finally today, Michael Balderston at TV Tech reports that a new study by Synamedia and Ampere Analysis finds that as much as $28.3 billion in revenue is lost each year due to sports piracy. However, much of that revenue can be returned if providers can convert “willing” pirates.

According to the study, some 74% of current pirates are willing to switch to legal streams if a legitimate alternative is available and if illegal options become unreliable. The study finds that 57% of the potential converts already subscribe to some legitimate services while 52% pay for pirate services.

The report indicates that, if providers want to convert pirates, they need to increase the flexibility of access without long contracts or complicated set ups. The study claims that, if the $28.3 billion could be recouped, about $22.9 billion of that would go to pay-tv providers and the other $5.4 billion would go to OTT streaming services.

The 3 Count Logo was created by Justin Goff and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License.