News

The world’s largest celebration of online video and digital creators kicks off in Melbourne today for four massive days of industry learning and networking. The conference hosts the very best global and local video industry heavyweights, creators and social media talent and our senior lawyer, Yasmin Naghavi, is amongst those presenting.

Catch Yasmin on Saturday 21st at 3.15pm for a 101 on how to navigate Management Agreements.

For the full schedule > https://vidconaustralia.com/full-agenda/vidconaustralia.com

As Bigsound wraps up for another year, The Music Network reflects on the top five take away points from “Splitting the Pie: How to Make Sure Everyone Is Paid Fairly” panel featuring our very own, David Vodicka.
https://tinyurl.com/splittingthepiethemusicnetwork.com

Australia’s leading music industry conference kicks off in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley today! With industry relevant panels all day and over 150 artists showcasing at night, it’s no wonder the three-day event has cemented its place on Australia’s cultural calendar. Catch MAL Partner, David Vodicka, on Thursday at 11am for the “Splitting the Pie: How to Make Sure Everyone is Paid Fairly” panel. The rest of our music team will also be floating around so be sure to say hello! BIGSOUND
For the full schedule > https://www.bigsound.org.au/bigsound.org.au

Senior music lawyer, Rob Glass, heads to Auckland this week for Going Global Music Summit 2019. The boutique music conference takes place at Roundhead Studios New Zealand over two days and is jam packed with live music, panels and workshops. You can catch Rob on Friday 30 August at the “Making Money from Your Music” panel and on Saturday 31 August at “Going Global – Australia”.
For more info and the full program > http://www.goingglobal.co.nz/goingglobal.co.nz

Netflix has dropped the first trailer for its upcoming film “Falling Inn Love” this week. Our senior lawyer, Sarah Caughey, worked hard behind the scenes on the first Netflix original feature production filmed in NZ. The rom-com, directed by Roger Kumble, is about an American city girl who wins The Bellbird Valley Farm in a competition and ditches city life to remodel and flip the rustic property.
Falling Inn Love premieres worldwide on Netflix on 29 August 2019.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=12258423nzherald.co.nz

Katy Perry and her record label, Capitol Records, have been hit with a USD$2.7 million copyright judgment following allegations by Marcus Gray that Perry’s hit song ‘Dark Horse’ copied the beat of his Christian rap song ‘Joyful Noise’. Commentators argued that the similarities between the songs were insufficient to constitute copyright infringement, contributing to growing concerns that the balance of artistic freedom of expression versus copyright protection is weighing heavily in favor of the latter. The case raises questions as to whether the verdict could lead to a new wave of copyright infringement lawsuits.
https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/legal-and-management/8524466/katy-perry-dark-horse-guilty-verdict-dr-luke-maxbillboard.com

Our film lawyers have been working hard behind the scenes with Endeavor Content on the screen adaptation of Australian novel, Penguin Bloom, starring Naomi Watts, Andrew Lincoln and Jackie Weaver. The film is based on the true story of a young Sydney family who struggle to come to terms with their mother’s near fatal tragedy and an injured magpie who helps the family recover. Filming started in Sydney last week and release is scheduled for 2020.
For more info > https://www.if.com.au/jacki-weaver-joins-the-cast-of-glendyn-ivins-penguin-bloom/if.com.au

2019 Indie-Con Australia Conference presented by Australian Independent Record Labels Association is running over the next two days, bringing together the best and brightest of the world’s independent music industry to explore issues specifically relevant to the independent music sector. Our very own Julian Hewitt and Yasmin Naghavi are amongst the best and brightest presenting at the conference. Catch Yasmin today at 2.45pm for “HR 101” and Julian tomorrow when he moderates “The Anatomy of a Deal” at 4pm. The rest of our team will also be around over the coming days, so be sure to say hi!

For the full conference program > https://www.air.org.au/assets/uploads/2019-08/2019%20INDIE-CON%20SCHEDULE_WEB.pdf

The Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition is one of the world’s most prestigious songwriting competitions and we are chuffed to represent a few of the 2019 prize winners. Huge congrats to our clients Matt Corby and Dann Hume for taking out the top prize with their stunning track ‘Miracle Love’ and to clients Sahara Beck and Kaiit who also placed.
https://www.facebook.com/vandayoungcomp/

Today marks the launch of OneMusic Australia, the biggest overhaul of Australia’s music licencing system in almost a century. OneMusic is a joint initiative between APRA AMCOS and PPCA which aims to simplify music licencing by requiring businesses to apply for one licence, instead of two. According to APRA AMCOS chief executive Dean Ormston, unifying music copyright management will make compliance easier and make sure rights holders are fully remunerated when their music is played in public.
If you have questions about your obligations under the new system, email kristin.churley@mediaartslawyers.com.
https://www.onemusic.com.au/onemusic.com.au

Emerging artists and industry graduates had the opportunity to learn about the music business on Tuesday at the University of Woolongong’s ‘Selling Yourself – Music Industry Q&A’.

The Unisounds panel featured Nick Luke (Moonbase and Trench Records), Troy Barrott (Hub Artist Services) and Jessica Iuliano (Media Arts Lawyers).

You can email jessica@mediaartslawyers.com if you have any legal questions, and to stay up to date with UniSounds go to: https://www.facebook.com/campusbandcomp

Hosting The Design Conference Brisbane tomorrow is our very own Yasmin Naghavi. The sold out three-day event has been curated specifically for creative professionals and aims to move, motivate and connect creative individuals. Yasmin will be around for the entire conference so be sure to say hi!
https://www.thedesignconference.com.au/yasmin-naghavi-hostthedesignconference.com.au

Congratulations to Julian and Yasmin who were recognised at the 2019 Arts Law Centre of Australia Pro Bono Awards for their outstanding contribution to the Australian arts community. The support of volunteer lawyers is crucial to Arts Law’s mission to empower creatives and we are so proud of our lawyers for doing their bit.

We were excited to attend the APRA Music Awards on Tuesday night and were proud to be there to celebrate excellence in contemporary music. We were extra proud of our clients who took out awards on the night. Congratulations to the following clients who were recognised as achieving outstanding success in their fields (in no particular order)
Amy Shark
The Rubens
Hilltop Hoods
Jon Hume
For a full list of winners, head to http://apraamcos.com.au/awards/2019-awards/apra-music-awards/.
APRA AMCOSapraamcos.com.au

We were honoured to sponsor The Ledger Awards 2019 which recognise excellence in Australian comic art and publishing. Our lawyer, Jess Iuliano, presented the Silver Ledger Awards at the official award ceremony on behalf of our firm. A huge congratulations to all the winners!
You can stream the entire award ceremony here – https://tinyurl.com/ledgerawards

Congratulations are in order for our client, Josephmark​, who have received two nominations in The Webby Awards 2019! The Webby Awards recognise outstanding websites across a variety of categories and Josephmark are up for best Cultural Blog/Website and for best Financial Services/Banking Website 🙌
To vote for Josephmark, and see a full list of nominees, head to

https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/vote.webbyawards.com

Congratulations to our clients who made it into the Billboard Dance 100 Artists of 2019. Overall position was based on fan polling, chart statistics, touring data, and artist achievements over the past year. In ranking order, hats off to:
14. Flume
30. RÜFÜS DU SOL
36. Alison Wonderland
56. SAN HOLO
https://www.billboard.com/files/pdfs/Bulletin/march-28-2019-billboard-bulletin.pdfbillboard.com

A nice doff of the cap from SMH to our clients Angie McMahon, Amyl and The Sniffers, Oh Pep! and @Body Ty following their SXSW showcases. Extra kudos to Angie McMahon who took out the prestigious Grulke Prize for Developing Act, awarded to artists who are breaking new ground with their creativity.

https://tinyurl.com/MAL-SXSWclientssmh.com.au

This week our Paralegal, Chloe Lucchesi, was admitted to the Victorian Supreme Court and begins her career as a lawyer. Congratulations Chloe! We are proud to welcome you to the profession and wish you a long and rewarding career.

Congrats to our client, venture studio, Josephmark for their important work with The Australian Literacy & Numeracy Foundation (ALNF) on helping preserve indigenous languages. They just won the SXSW Interactive Innovation Award for “Connecting People”.
https://tinyurl.com/y46g87x8sxsw.com

Media Arts Lawyers at SXSW: Headed to SXSW? So are we! Media Arts Lawyers are hosting a mixer on Thursday 14 March at the Line Hotel from 5-7pm, so drop in and say hello!

Julian, Stephen and Marcus will be also be around for the week. Email Marcus at marcus.walkom@mediaartslawyers.com to organise a catch up.

We’re proud to represent Australian businesses across the creative industries. Congratulations to our clients who have been listed as finalists in the 22nd annual South by Southwest Interactive Innovation Awards in the following categories
New Economy Finalist – ‘Hash Finance’ by Josephmark and Hash Finance

Awards take place on 11 March 2019. See full list of finalists at https://www.sxsw.com/awards/interactive-innovation-awards/#ceremonysxsw.com

International Women’s Day: Happy International Women’s Day! Shout out to all our amazing female lawyers and clients who are accomplishing great things across the creative industries. A very special mention to our CFO, Maria Amato, who has been listed this week at #35 in The Power 50 – a list of the most influential people in the Australian music industry.

https://themusic.com.au/article/wu3e1NfW2dg/power-50-35-maria-amato-2019/?fbclid=IwAR1vKEFNsa-1EFkI1UJp-0szEbDa37sSNlimzyGbfNi9YinEZ9YPtCmbC7Qthemusic.com.au

The ‘Don’t Kill Live Music’ rally saw tens of thousands of Sydney-siders gather in Hyde Park in support of Australian musicians and music festivals. Two weeks on, the NSW government’s Music Festival Licensing Scheme and Guidelines are now in force. This regime will only apply to specified festivals as determined by the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority. If you’re unsure if your live music event may be affected, you can contact Kristin at kristin.churley@mediaartslawyers.com.

For more information visit https://www.liquorandgaming.nsw.gov.au/operating-a-business/music-festival-licence

Shout out to all our clients who made it onto Triple J’s Hottest 100 for 2018 over the long weekend, listed in order of rank on countdown:

5. Amy Shark – I Said Hi 7. Mallrat– Groceries 9. RUBY FIELDS – Dinosaurs 11. Skegss – Up In The Clouds 14. Wafia – I’m Good 15. Hayden James – Just Friends (Feat. Boy Matthews) 21. The Rubens – Never Ever (Feat. Sarah) 22. RÜFÜS DU SOL – Underwater 23. RÜFÜS DU SOL – Treat You Better 24. Hilltop Hoods – Leave Me Lonely 29. Peking Duk – Fire 30. Cub Sport – Sometimes 31. Alison Wonderland – Church 32. The Rubens – God Forgot 36. Amy Shark – All Loved Up 37. Ziggy Alberts – Love Me Now 38. G Flip – About You 41. DMA’S– In The Air 42. Ziggy Alberts – Laps Around The Sun 44. Hilltop Hoods – Clark Griswold (Feat. Adrian Eagle) 47. DZ Deathrays – Like People 49. Angie McMahon – Missing Me 50. RÜFÜS DU SOL – No Place 53. Vance Joy – We’re Going Home 54. Vance Joy – Saturday Sun 55. Peking Duk – Wasted 57. The Presets – Martini 60. DMA’S – The End 62. G Flip – Killing My Time 64. Middle Kids – Mistake 65. METHYL ETHEL – Scream Whole 66. Flight Facilities – Need You (Feat. NÏKA) 70. Mallrat – UFO (Feat. Allday) 71. Skegss – Smogged Out 78. Hayden James – Better Together (Feat. Running Touch) 79. Thelma Plum – Clumsy Love 81. Jack River – Ballroom 87. Ruel – Younger 88. WAAX – Labrador 89. Ruel – Dazed & Confused (Prod. M-Phazes) 93. Trophy Eyes – You Can Count On Me 94. The Amity Affliction – Ivy (Doomsday) 97. DMA’S – Do I Need You Now?

See full list at https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/hottest100/18/countdown/1-100/abc.net.au

It’s 2019, which means that all copyrighted works in the US that were published in 1923 have now fallen into the public domain (with a few exceptions). This marks the first time since 1998 that works in the US have entered the public domain due to various copyright extension acts that have steadily increased the term of copyright protection. Will 2019 see another attempt from the US to continue to extend the duration of copyright protection, or has it reached it’s limit?

Read more here arstechnica.com

Our very own Marcus Walkom gives you the lowdown on Taylor Swift’s new record deal with Universal Music Group’s Republic Records and explains how this will impact other artists on Universal’s roster.

See his interview with Your Money here yourmoney.com.au

We are proud supporters of up-and-coming Australian Artists and were thrilled to see our clients take home the following awards at the J Awards last week

Kwame – winner of Triple J Unearthed Artist of the Year

Middle Kids – winner of Triple J Australian Album of the Year with their album ‘Lost Friends’

Congratulations! You can see a full list of winners here
https://musicfeeds.com.au/news/2018-j-award-winners-announced/

We had the pleasure of celebrating the vibrant music scene in NZ at the Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards last week! Shout out to our clients who received awards in the following categories, listed in no particular order

Single of the Year – Drax Project ‘Woke Up Late’
Breakthrough Artist – Drax Project
Hip Hop – SWIDT
Electronic – Chores
Pacific – Ladi6 ‘Royal Blue 3000’

See full list of winners here
https://www.nzmusicawards.co.nz/nominee/

In the Netherlands this week the European Court of Justice has found that there is no copyright in the taste of ‘cheese’. The decision follows attempts by Levola Hengelo, a Dutch food company, to claim monopoly over the taste of a cheese spread. The court found that “…the taste of the cheese could not be defined with enough precision and objectivity to make it clear to other companies where they might be overstepping the mark.”

Do you think taste is distinct enough to be copyrighted? Read the full article here
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/13/business/eu-cheese-copyright.html

We had a great time last night at the South Australian Music Awards 2018! Congratulations to our clients who received the following awards, in no particular order

BEST SONG West Thebarton – Bible Camp
BEST ABORIGINAL OR TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER ARTIST A.B. Original
BEST GROUP West Thebarton
BEST SOLO ARTIST Mane
BEST RELEASE West Thebarton – Different Beings Being Different
BEST MANAGER Craig Lock
BEST MUSIC VIDEO Mallrat – Better – (Rory Pippan – Young Black Youth)
PEOPLE’S CHOICE – ELECTRONIC ARTIST Motez
PEOPLE’S CHOICE – HIPHOP ARTIST Tkay Maidza
PEOPLE’S CHOICE – ROCK ARTIST West Thebarton

For a full list of winners see
https://www.adelaidereview.com.au/arts/music/south-australian-music-awards-winners-announced

It’s award season and we’re thrilled to see so many of our clients nominated for J Awards – celebrating the best of our local indie talent. Here are the nominees in no particular order

Triple j AUSTRALIAN ALBUM OF THE YEAR NOMINEES
Amy Shark, Love Monster
courtney barnett, Tell Me How You Really Feel
DMA’S, For Now
Middle Kids, Lost Friends
Polaris, The Mortal Coil
RÜFÜS DU SOL, Solace

Double j ARTIST OF THE YEAR NOMINEES
John Butler Trio

UNEARTHED ARTIST OF THE YEAR NOMINEES
Angie McMahon
G Flip
Kwame
Slowly Slowly

AUSTRALIAN MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR, co-presented by Rage
DZ Deathrays ‘Like People’ Director: Guss Mallman
Golden Vessel ‘Bigbright {Ft. Elkkle, E^ST & Duckwrth}’ Director: Harry Deadman

The awards will be announced on triple j from 4pm on 23 November 2018, see full list of nominees here
https://www.theindustryobserver.com.au/2018-j-award/theindustryobserver.com.au

KAPOW! Do you need a kick-ass lawyer to save the day? Our founding partner David Vodicka gives advice on when you should start thinking about getting legal help as a musician in an interview with Pile Rats as a part of WAMFEST 2018.

“Generally the trigger point of engaging a lawyer tends to be when artists are presented a contract (recording, publishing, management) which should be reviewed so at least the artist is across what the agreement means and what their options are in terms of negotiation.”

You can hear David speak at the WAMFEST ‘Mind Your Own Business’ panel tomorrow at the State Theatre Centre of WA, and read his full interview with Pile Rats at the link below

http://pilerats.com/written/light-easy/media-arts-lawyers-wam-festival/pilerats.com

We are grateful to represent some of Australia’s finest screen composers – shout out to Caitlin Yeo, David Cheshire, and Burkhard Dallwitz whose works have been nominated for APRA/AMCOS Screen Music Awards in the following categories (in no particular order):

‘The Butterfly Tree’ by Caitlin Yeo – Feature Film Score of the Year/ Best Music for a Mini-Series or Telemovie/ Best Soundtrack Album

‘Barbara’ by Caitlin Yeo – Best Music for a Short Film

‘Jar Dewllers SOS!’ by David Cheshire – Best Music For Children’s Television

‘Underbelly Files: Chopper’ by Burkhard Dallwitz – Best Music For a Mini-Series or Telemovie

Full list of nominees here
http://apraamcos.com.au/awards/2018-awards/screen-music-awards/full-list-of-nominees/apraamcos.com.au

Shout out to all our clients who have been nominated for ARIA awards in the following categories (in no particular order)

MUSIC ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Amy Shark – Love Monster (Wonderlick Recording Company)
courtney barnett- Tell Me How You Really Feel (Milk! Records/Remote Control Records)

BEST MALE ARTIST
Vance Joy – Nation Of Two (Liberation Records)

BEST FEMALE ARTIST
Alison Wonderland – Awake (EMI)
Amy Shark – Love Monster (Wonderlick Recording Company)
Courtney Barnett – Tell Me How You Really Feel (Milk! Records/Remote Control Records)

BEST DANCE RELEASE
Alison Wonderland – Awake (EMI)
Peking Duk – Fire (Sony Music)
RÜFÜS DU SOL – No Place (Sony Music)

BEST GROUP
DMA’S – For Now (I OH YOU)
Peking Duk – Fire (Sony Music)
RÜFÜS DU SOL – No Place (Sony Music)

BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST
Jack River- Sugar Mountain (I OH YOU)
Ruel- Dazed & Confused (RCA Records/Sony Music)*

BEST POP RELEASE
Amy Shark – Love Monster (Wonderlick Recording Company)
Jack River – Sugar Mountain (I OH YOU)

BEST URBAN RELEASE
360 – Vintage Modern (Forthwrite/EMI)
Hilltop Hoods – Clark Griswold (feat. Adrian Eagle) (Hilltop Hoods/Universal Music Australia)

BEST INDEPENDENT RELEASE
Courtney Barnett – Tell Me How You Really Feel (Milk! Records/Remote Control Records)
DMA’S – For Now (I OH YOU)

BEST ROCK ALBUM
Courtney Barnett – Tell Me How You Really Feel (Milk! Records/Remote Control Records)
DMA’S – For Now (I OH YOU)
Middle Kids – Lost Friends (EMI)*

BEST ADULT CONTEMPORARY ALBUM
Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile – Lotta Sea Lice (Milk! Records/Remote Control Records)
Missy Higgins – Solastalgia (Eleven: A Music Company/EMI Music)
Vance Joy – Nation Of Two (Liberation Records)

BEST COUNTRY ALBUM
Adam Eckersley & Brooke McClymont – Adam & Brooke (Lost Highway Australia /Universal Music Australia)

BEST HARD ROCK/HEAVY METAL ALBUM
DZ Deathrays- Bloody Lovely (I OH YOU)
Parkway Drive- Reverence (Resist Records/Cooking Vinyl Australia)
West Thebarton – Different Beings Being Different (Domestic La La/Sony Music Entertainment)

BEST BLUES AND ROOTS
Ruby Boots – Don’t Talk About It (Island Records Australia/Universal Music Australia)*

BEST CHILDREN’S ALBUM
Justine Clarke – The Justine Clarke Show! (ABC KIDS/Universal Music Australia)
Teeny Tiny Stevies – Helpful Songs For Little People (ABC KIDS/Universal Music Australia)

APPLE MUSIC SONG OF THE YEAR
Amy Shark – I Said Hi (Wonderlick Recording Company)
Peking Duk – Fire/Reprisal (Sony Music)
Vance Joy – Lay It On Me (Liberation Records)

BEST VIDEO
Amy Shark – I Said Hi (Wonderlick Recording Company)
Client Liaison – Survival In The City (Warner Music Australia Pty Ltd)
Courtney Barnett – Need A Little Time (Milk! Records/Remote Control Records)
Gang of Youths- The Heart Is A Muscle (Mosy Recordings/Sony Music)
Peking Duk – Fire (Sony Music)
The Presets – Do What You Want (Modular/EMI)

BEST AUSTRALIAN LIVE ACT
Amy Shark – Love Monster Tour (Wonderlick Recording Company)
Client Liaison – Expo Liaison (Warner Music Australia Pty Ltd)
Courtney Barnett – Tell Me How You Really Feel National Tour (Milk! Records/Remote Control Records)
Gang Of Youths – 2017 National Tour (Mosy Recordings/Sony Music)
Peking Duk – The Wasted Tour (Sony Music)

Full list of nominees here
https://www.ariaawards.com.au/nominees/2018/Aria-Awards/Album-Of-The-Yearariaawards.com.au

Congratulations to our client John Butler Trio whose new album ‘Home’ has debuted at #1 on the ARIA charts.

The release follows the band’s announcement of their 2019 Coming Home Tour with fellow Australian award-winning musicians Missy Higgins and Stella Donnelly.

Full article here
https://www.oztix.com.au/news/archive/2018/10/06/john-butler-trio-storm-to-the-top-of-the-aria-charts-with-home-themusic/oztix.com.au

We had a great night celebrating NZ songwriters at the 2018 APRA Silver Scroll Awards!

Congratulations to our client Marlon Williams – who took out the Silver Scroll Award for composing the hit ballad “Nobody Gets What They Want Anymore”. Also a special shout out to our client Native Tongue Music Publishing, who are the proud publisher of Marlon Williams, and also represent the screen award winners Conrad Wedde, Lukasz Buda and Samuel Scott, who won the award for Best Original Music in a Series for their soundtrack for the Australian TV show “Cleverman”, and David Long, who won the award for Best Original Music in a Feature Film for his score for the documentary “McLaren”.

Full list of winners here
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/nat-music/audio/2018665329/marlon-williams-wins-the-2018-apra-silver-scrollradionz.co.nz

Shout out to our clients The Paper Kites, who hit certified Gold status in the US with “Bloom” – a track they released nearly a decade ago! Hailing from Melbourne, The Paper Kites are a perfect example of how streaming services are extending the shelf life of songs and are giving indie artists a platform for international recognition.

Read full interview with The Paper Kite’s Sam Bentley here:
https://www.pedestrian.tv/music/melbourne-australian-band-the-paper-kites-us-gold-status-interview/pedestrian.tv

We currently have two job openings in our Melbourne office for an experienced Entertainment Lawyer (3yrs+) and an Office Administrator! Don’t miss this rare opportunity to build your career in Australia’s largest boutique entertainment law firm and work with clients at the top of the industry!

Find out more at www.mediaartslawyers.com/careers

We are looking for an experienced commercial IP lawyer to join our Melbourne office! This is an exciting role for a high performing, innovative and driven individual who is looking to work with the best in Australia’s entertainment industry.

If you know someone who should apply, link them to our full job ad at

seek.com.au

Congratulations to our client Tony Thorne, director of ‘Little J and Big Cuz’ – an animated kids program on NITV that was awarded the 2018 Logie for ‘Most Outstanding Children’s Program’. Little J and Big Cuz is the first animated program targeted toward Indigenous Australian audiences and follows the lives of two Indigenous children discovering their culture, community and country.

Find out more about this Logie-winning show here:
https://www.littlejandbigcuz.com.au/littlejandbigcuz.com.au

Looking for something to do in Melbourne next Wednesday evening? Join our very own Sarah Woolcott at Screen Producers Australia’s Two-Day Workshop ‘Screen Business Essentials’ presented in association with AFTRS. Sarah will be presenting an invaluable session for producers about the world of sync and developments around licensing music for film and television in the twenty-first century.

See further details and secure your tickets here
https://www.screenproducers.org.au/events/screen-business-essentials-melbourne/screenproducers.org.au

Looking for some light reading over the long weekend? Check out Forbes’ interview with our client Lyle Hysen, founder of NYC sync house Bank Robber Music, as he discusses developments around licensing indie music for television and film in the twenty-first century.

Full article available here https://www.forbes.com/sites/dannyross1/2018/05/21/how-netflix-hulu-tvs-golden-age-impacts-music/#763e138b9328forbes.com

EOFY is fast approaching and its time to get your finances in order! Our very own Marcus Walkom will be hosting APRA AMCOS and Music Victoria’s event ‘Bands, Budgets and Balancing the Books’ – a practical session aimed at helping you manage the financial side of your music business.

If you’re an artist, manager or small music business owner and are in Melbourne next Tuesday 12 June, make sure to secure your spot at https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/mv-x-apra-amcos-present-bands-budgets-and-balancing-the-books-tickets-45673133572eventbrite.com.au

Revolutionary Changes to Privacy Law: Today, 25 May 2018, marks the commencement of the EU General Data Protection Regulation – a law pioneering stronger protections around how businesses collect, use and store personal data. These regulations are far-reaching and apply to any business that controls or processes the data of EU citizens.

Is your business GDPR compliant? For a review of your current privacy and data collection policies, email us at jessica@mediaartslawyers.com

We’re looking forward to the 2018 APRA Music Awards taking place tonight! Shout out to our clients who have been nominated for the following awards:

Song of the year – Amy Shark, Gang of Youths & Ainslie Wills

Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year – Ben Abraham, Gretta Ray

Country Work of the Year – The McClymonts

Dance Work of the Year – Peking Duk, Starley, Kaelyn Behr (Styalz Fuego)

Pop Work of the Year – Amy Shark, Vance Joy, M-PHAZES

Rock Work of the Year – KINGSWOOD, DUNE RATS

Urban Work of the Year – Tkay Maidza, Nicholas Martin, Kaelyn Behr (Styalz), M-Phazes

Most Played Australian Work – Amy Shark, Starley, Peking Duk, Kaelyn Behr (Styalz), M-Phazes

Good luck to all!

The music streaming platform that famously allows users to curate their own public playlists is yet again taking interactive music listening to another level. Spotify is launching a new software called ‘Line-In’ that will allow users to edit track details to provide more accurate descriptions of genres, mood, tags, artist roles and other information. Will this ability for everyday people to define the music they are listening to change how we categorise and describe music? Tell us what you think!

Read full article at
https://www.theindustryobserver.com.au/spotify-is-now-letting-listeners-change-track-details/theindustryobserver.com.au

Happy International Women’s Day!:

Fun fact – this year marks 100 years since the Women’s Legal Status Act 1918 (NSW) was passed, allowing women in NSW to enter the legal profession for the first time in Australia!

Big shout out to our CFO Maria Amato who was listed as one of the top 50 most influential figures in the Australian music industry right now! It is well-deserved recognition of Maria’s significant contributions to the Australian entertainment and music sector over the past 25 years. Congratulations – we are lucky to have you on our team!

See the full list at:
http://themusic.com.au/news/all/2018/02/28/here-are-the-50-most-influential-figures-in-the-australian-music-industry-right-now/themusic.com.au

the very impressive Stella Donnelly signs to Secretly Canadian as her new label home outside Australia.

http://themusic.com.au/news/all/2018/02/27/stella-donnelly-signs-international-deal-with-us-indie-label/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=YDS%20270218&utm_content=YDS%20270218+CID_e224616a76e096c6527d2e49e369d879&utm_source=Daily%20SPA&utm_term=morethemusic.com.au

Shoutout to our client, Ryan Downey, for signing to Barely Dressed Records! Downey is a Melbourne-based singer songwriter with a growing reputation as one of the most unique voices emerging in the Australian Indie music scene. We are proud to continue supporting local Australian talent and can’t wait to listen to his debut album due to be released in April. Congrats Ryan!

Read more at:
http://themusic.com.au/news/all/2018/02/14/ryan-downey-signs-to-barely-dressed-records/themusic.com.au

Congratulations to our partners, David Vodicka, Stephen King and Julian Hewitt who have all made the shortlist for the Industry Observer Awards 2018 Music Lawyer of the Year. It is well-deserved recognition of their continued dedication to supporting artists in the Australian Music Industry – well done guys!

Read full list of nominees at:
https://www.theindustryobserver.com.au/industry-observer-awards-2018-shortlist-music-lawyer-year/theindustryobserver.com.au

Emoji are just harmless, funny images at the end of a text, right? Well in the legal industry they are becoming an increasingly serious problem. A court in New Zealand recently had to grapple with Emoji that were placed at the end of death threats, whilst a judge in the Supreme Court of QLD had to decide how to interpret a smiley face Emoji in a will.

Could this developing technological language be upheld as a “a legitimate form of literacy” by the law? Let us know what you think!

Full article:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-12-05/emoji-and-the-law-threatening-suggesting-violence-cases/9227136abc.net.au

The owner of the famous feline internet sensation ‘Grumpy Cat’ has successfully sued a coffee shop in California for AUD$883,000 for breach of a copyright licensing agreement. The café had originally paid Grumpy Cat Ltd a fee to use the famous cat-meme on their ‘Grumpaccino’ iced coffees, but they overstepped the bounds of their agreement when they started to use Grumpy Cat’s image to promote their other products as well.

Are you thinking about using another person (or cat’s!) image to promote your business? To avoid a law suit down the line, make sure you are aware of what you can and can’t do when using an image that isn’t your own.

Full article at:
http://www.news.com.au/technology/online/social/grumpy-cat-owner-awarded-883000-in-lawsuit-for-copyright-infringement/news-story/9290b7987b9a54f88ed99e80e138ad5bnews.com.au

Our clerkship applications are now open for 2018 for any budding lawyers (Sydney or Melbourne) interested in media, entertainment, trade marks, intellectual property, creative industries and hospitality – Fill out your application now for:

Melbourne: mediaartslawyers.com/melbourne-clerkships/
Sydney: mediaartslawyers.com/sydney-clerkships/

A reminder of the importance of ensuring your event name doesn’t infringe anyone else’s trademark, especially before you go on sale! billboard.com

Music streaming continues to have profound impacts on the recording industry. New data sets from Spotify show that users listen to more ‘catalogue’ records (golden oldies) over ‘frontline’ releases (latest hits). This preference to consume older content may have considerable effects on how the major labels choose to market their content and how we evaluate who sits at the top of the charts.

Read more about these exciting new developments here:
https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/music-industrys-definition-catalogue-need-upgrade/musicbusinessworldwide.com

This case serves as a clear warning to all businesses (not just venues) playing music in their premises. Be sure to pay your music licence fees when they fall due or prepare to pay the consequences (also note the personal liability of directors)! If you are unsure as to what your obligations are in respect of collecting societies, give us a call! apraamcos.com.au

The incredible Stella Donnelly is off to the UK next week, and after sweeping the WAM awards has just dropped a stunning and timely video:

https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/stella-donnelly-boys-will-be-boys/pitchfork.com

MAL’s Amanda Mason will be part of the panel on ‘Deal-Breaking Dealio$’ tomorrow at 12:10pm at the State Theatre Centre of Western Australia as part WAMCon. Look forward to seeing you there!wam.org.au

Congratulations to all our clients that received nominations for the 2017 ARIA Awards, in no particular order

BEST POP RELEASE
Amy Shark – Night Thinker

BEST INDEPENDENT RELEASE
A.B. Original – Reclaim Australia
Vance Joy – Lay It On Me

BEST ADULT CONTEMPORARY ALBUM
Pete Murray – Camacho

BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST
AB Original – Reclaim Australia
Amy Shark – Night Thinker
Tkay Maidza – TKAY

BEST VIDEO
Amy Shark – Drive You Mad
Client Liaison – A Foreign Affair
Client Liaison – Off White Limousine
Gang of Youths – The Deepest Sighs, The Frankest Shadows
Kirin J Callinan – SAD

BEST COUNTRY ALBUM
The McClymonts – Endless

BEST DANCE RELEASE
Peking Duk– Stranger (feat. Elliphant)
The Kite String Tangle – The Kite String Tangle
Dom Dolla & Torren Foot – Be Randy

BEST FEMALE ARTIST
Amy Shark – Night Thinker
Julia Jacklin – Don’t Let the Kids Win

BEST MALE ARTIST
Vance Joy – Lay It On Me

BEST GROUP
AB Original – Reclaim Australia
Gang of Youths – Go Farther In The Lightness
Peking Duk – Stranger (feat. Elliphant)

BEST AUSTRALIAN LIVE ACT
Client Liaison
Flume
Gang of Youths
Peking Duk
Violent Soho

BEST HARD ROCK/ HEAVY METAL ALBUM
Airbourne– Breakin’ Outta Hell
Northlane – Mesmer

BEST ROCK ALBUM
DUNE RATS – The Kids Know It’s Bullshit
Gangs Of Youth – Go Farther In The Lightness

BEST URBAN RELEASE
AB Original – Reclaim Australia
Remi. – Divas & Demons
Tkay Maidza – TKAY

APPLE MUSIC SONG OF THE YEAR
Amy Shark – Adore
Peking Duk – Stranger (feat. Elliphant)

APPLE MUSIC ALBUM OF THE YEAR
AB Original – Reclaim Australia
Amy Shark – Night Thinker
Gang of Youths – Go Farther In The Lightness

Best of luck to all of our clients! We are so proud to represent such a broad range of Australian talent and can’t wait to celebrate another year of amazing Australian music.