CCIA Research: “Value Gap” Claims Made By The Record Label Industry Are Unfounded. New research released by the Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA), refutes the content industry’s “value gap” claims, instead demonstrating that revenues from both groups are growing steadily. The recording studios have long alleged that revenue from streaming services are coming at the expense of legacy music players, but the research shows wholesale revenues increased by over 14% in the first half of 2017, while retail revenues from streaming platforms grew 48% over the same period. In a Project DisCo blog post, Maud Sacquet notes that the growth in revenue “demonstrate[s] that digital’s efficiency savings are passed on to both consumers and record labels – and hence that digital streaming services enable massive value growth.”
Save The Date: NAFTA Copyright Event On October 30. The American University Washington College of Law’s Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property (PIJIP), Creative Commons, and the Re:Create Coalition will host “NAFTA and the Digital Environment,” an event on October 30 featuring Professor Michael Geist from the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law. As NAFTA renegotiations continue, Geist will explore why balanced copyright provisions should be included in the agreement. Those interested in attending can register here.
Smile! More Americans Taking Photos And Sharing Online. Thanks to new digital photography tools and online sharing platforms, Americans are taking more photos than ever before, according to a new Consumer Technology Association (CTA) study. In its research, CTA found that almost 90% of Americans are using smartphones to take pictures, and 53% of those Americans use a digital imaging tool or app like photo editing, output or kiosk services. Driving this trend are Millennials between the ages of 18 and 24 who average 439 photos every six months. CTA’s study is the latest illustration of how the internet enables ordinary people to become new creators.
What’s The Difference Between Halloween And Cosplay? With Halloween right around the corner, people will celebrate by dressing up as their favorite TV character, sports athlete, pop culture icon and more. But how does dressing up for Halloween differ from participating in cosplay events like Comic-Con? In a Fox News article, author Lauren Orsini breaks down the history of cosplay and explains how it is more than just putting on a costume. Many cosplayers make their own costumes, practice voices and mannerisms, and identify closely with the character. “We can become anyone we want to be,” added cosplayer Lawrence Asuncion, when asked to explain why fans enjoy the passion.
Libraries Amplify Concerns About The CASE Act. American Library Association’s Carrie Russell voiced concerns over the CASE Act in a District Dispatch blog post. The bill calls for the Copyright Office to establish a small claims system for low cost infringement cases. While concerns over infringement cases for individual creators are legitimate, Russell argued that this would not be an effective solution as “defendants would be unlikely to participate especially without an independent judicial review that is guaranteed in the federal court.”
Librarian Of Congress Carla Hayden Reflects On First Year. This fall marked the one-year anniversary of Carla Hayden’s swearing-in as Librarian of Congress. As the first woman and first African-American to hold the title, Hayden told the Christian Science Monitor, “It is personally humbling to realize that I’m a descendant of people who were forbidden by law to read at times. To then be the head of an institution that’s centered around learning and scholarship and reading is something that really touches me every time I think about that aspect.” Among her many achievements in the first year, Hayden has made a concerted effort to digitize the Library’s materials in order to increase public access.