3 Count: Closed Cinema

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1: Danish Rights Group Koda Sues Suno for ‘Biggest Theft in Music History’

First off today, Kristin Robinson at Billboard reports that the Danish rights group Koda has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against the AI music company Suno, alleging that Suno used the works of various Danish artists to train its generative AI systems.

Koda is a collecting society for songwriters, composers and music publishers. Their lawsuit mirrors claims made by music publishers in the United States, including Universal Music Group, Sony Music and Warner Music Group. They claim that Suno used copyright-protected music to train various AI systems and that those systems can produce derivative works based on that music.

A representative for Koda called Suno’s actions the “biggest theft in music history” and said their goal is to ensure artists are paid when their music is used to train AI systems.

2: My Family Cinema Closes in South Africa After Piracy Crackdown

Next up today, Chiraag at joburg {etc} reports that, in South Africa, one of the nation’s largest piracy streaming platforms has shuttered after years of operating through what was seen as a legal loophole.

The site in question is My Family Cinema (MFC). The site was not a typical streaming site; instead, it billed itself as a “personal media player” that allowed users to upload their own content for later streaming. However, the site offered a cloud link system that allowed users to share their libraries with others, causing the service to become known as a piracy network.

Troubles began for the site in September, when it, along with other providers, was raided by authorities. In October, the home page disappeared, and more recently, the service shut down completely. However, those who have paid for the service are not eligible for refunds since the operation itself was illegal.

3: Advocate Alleges Film ‘The Taj Story’ Plagiarised His Research on Taj Mahal’s 22 Sealed Rooms

Finally, today, Salil Tiwari at Law Beat India reports that in India, author Rudra Vikram Singh has filed a lawsuit against the filmmakers behind the upcoming movie The Taj Story, claiming they used his research without permission or compensation.

In 2023, Singh published his book, 22 Rooms of the Taj Mahal, detailing the history of the 22 sealed rooms inside the Taj Mahal. He claims that the team behind The Taj Story used his work without permission, thereby committing copyright infringement.

The claim acknowledges that facts are not protectable under copyright but argues that the film used Singh’s “selection, interpretation, sequence, and expression” of those facts.

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