3 Count: SESAC Dispute

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

1: Songs by Adele, Bob Dylan, Green Day, Many More Blocked by YouTube in Legal Dispute

First off today, Jem Aswad at Variety reports that thousands of music videos have become unplayable on YouTube in the United States due to a dispute with the performing rights organization (PRO) SESAC.

As a PRO, SESAC represents songwriters when their music is played in a public space, including YouTube. Until recently, YouTube had an agreement with SESAC, but that agreement recently expired, and the two sides could not agree on a new one.

As such, many popular songs are currently unplayable on YouTube. This includes music by Green Day, R.E.M, Rush and Adele. However, according to at least one source, the deal doesn’t expire until later, making this a likely negotiating tactic by YouTube. That said, YouTube did say that they are negotiating “in good faith” with SESAC. SESAC has not commented on the removal.

2: Authors Can Depose Meta CEO Zuckerberg in AI Copyright Case, Judge Says

Next up today, Blake Brittain at Reuters reports that authors will be able to depose Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg as part of their ongoing lawsuit against the company over its AI systems.

The lawsuit was filed by a group of authors spearheaded by comedian Sarah Silverman. The lawsuit alleges that Meta used their work to train Meta’s AI systems in violation of copyright.

The authors had sought to depose Zuckerberg, but Meta pushed back, saying he lacked any relevant knowledge of the issue. However, the judge disagreed and said he was the chief decision maker on this issue and could be deposed.

3: Nelly Hit With Copyright Lawsuit Over Decades-Old Album By Ex-Bandmates: ‘Lying The Entire Time’

Finally, today, Bill Donahue at Billboard reports that Nelly’s former bandmates are suing the rapper, claiming that they have not received the credits or royalties they are owed.

Members of the group St. Lunatics filed the lawsuit. They claim they were falsely led to believe they would receive royalties for their work on the 2000 album Country Grammar. They say that, during the album’s production, Nelly routinely acknowledged them as writers, but they never received credit.

The group members did not receive royalties for their contributions without that credit. However, the lawsuit may face a significant hurdle as disputes over copyright ownership have a strict three-year statute of limitations. As such, the lawsuit claims that Nelly infringes on their work, not that this is a dispute over ownership.

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