3 Count: Nirvana’s Inferno

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1: Nirvana Beats T-Shirt Copyright Lawsuit Involving Dante’s ‘Inferno’

First off today, Bill Donahue at Billboard reports that members of the band Nirvana have emerged victorious in a battle over their iconic Dante’s Inferno shirt, even if it is likely not the final word on the case.

The lawsuit was filed by Jocelyn Susan Bundy, who claims that her grandfather created the design based on Dante’s Inferno. A similar work to that piece was used on the Nirvana Vestibule shirt, also based on Dante’s Inferno. That prompted the lawsuit for copyright infringement.

However, a judge has dismissed the lawsuit, arguing that one of the key issues in the case is whether Bundy holds the copyright in question. As such, the judge feels the matter needs to be resolved in a UK courtroom. Bundy has said that she is looking at refiling the case in the UK but is weighing all her options.

2: Triller Reportedly Agreed to Settle ‘Jake Paul’ Piracy Claim Then Returned Cash

Next up today, Andy Maxwell at Torrentfreak writes that one of the Triller lawsuits has taken a turn as the defendant accuses Triller of refusing to honor a settlement agreement and operating in bad faith during the early parts of the disagreement.

The case involves Arvin De La Santos, the alleged operator of the YourEXTRA YouTube channel. According to Triller, De La Santos illegally showed the Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren boxing match. However, according to De La Santos, before the lawsuit was filed, he attempted to settle the allegations with Triller only to reach an agreement and have Triller abruptly return the money.

De La Santos mentions these allegations in his response to the lawsuit, which also makes arguments of fair use and that he is an “innocent infringer,” an argument that could potentially lessen any damages against him.

3: Music Publishers Propose Higher Streaming Payments

Finally today, Anne Steele at the Wall Street Journal reports that music publishers and streaming services are once again heading to the Copyright Royalty Board in a bid to try and establish favorable royalty rates for the next few years.

The battle pits the National Music Publishers Association against the major streaming services to decide what royalties should be paid to music publishers and songwriters when their music is streamed. Publishers, predictably, are seeking a higher royalty rate while streamers want a much lower one, one that, in some cases, would be below 2008 levels.

The new rate, when decided, would be applied retroactively and would also govern royalties owed between 2023 and 2027.

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