Recently, Apple forced Digital Music News (“DMN”), a website that covers news and information for the music industry, to pull an iTunes Radio contract from their website, citing copyright infringement as the reason for removal.
The contract, leaked by DMN in late June, was for independent, non-major record labels that didn’t have directly negotiated deals with Apple. DMN alleges that the contract forced “sub-standard terms” on all but the most distinguished independent record labels. That is, the deals with independent record labels were starkly different than those with major record labels. Notably, this allegation is based on information obtained from an unnamed source, as copies of Apple’s contract with major labels have not been leaked. DMN, along with others who think Apple went too far, claim that the forcible removal was Apple’s way of suppressing information, not honoring copyright laws.
While it is rare to copyright a contract, it is within the bounds of the law. Specifically, as is the situation here, Apple owns the words of the contract, not the information. Thus, it’s likely that had DMN summarized the contract in its own words, Apple wouldn’t have taken action.
In May 2025, as part of a settlement of litigation involving college football, a new entity was created called the College Sports Commission (“CSC” or “Commission”). See news media reports here and here. Among many other purposes, the CSC will monitor and approve name, image, and likeness (“NIL”) agreements for college athletes. As the term […]
Read more about Fairness Factors For Your College NIL Agreement
Trademarks are words, designs, symbols, logos, and other things that are used/associated with goods or services that identify the specific commercial source of the goods/services. COCA-COLA, APPLE, and GUCCI are just a few famous examples. If COCA-COLA is on the bottle, consumers know what to expect from the beverage in the bottle. The same for […]
Read more about Is a “Fanciful” Trademark the Best Type of Trademark?
Getting an endorsement deal as a social media influencer may be a seminal event financially and for the progress of your career. However, the question always has to be asked whether your endorsement deal is fair. In other words, are you getting paid what you are worth? There are a number of factors that can […]
Read more about Is Your Social Media Influencer Endorsement Deal Fair?