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CMU Digest
CMU Digest 24.02.20: Post-Brexit visas, Cloudflare, Pearl Jam, BBC, Recording Academy
By Chris Cooke | Published on Monday 24 February 2020
The key stories from the last week in the music business…
The music industry was critical of the UK government’s proposed post-Brexit immigration rules. Current proposals would introduce new costs and bureaucracy for European artists looking to perform in the UK, a move that would likely be reciprocated by the EU regarding British artists who want to perform there. Music industry groups continue to call on ministers to introduce a special simplified system for artists looking to tour the UK and Europe once Brexit properly kicks in next year. [READ MORE]
Internet company Cloudflare was forced to block access to a piracy site that was utilising its services after legal action from Universal Music. Cloudflare has long resisted efforts by the music industry to have it police its networks for clients whose websites infringe copyright, but says it will respond to court orders. Universal secured an injunction through the German courts which said that Cloudflare could be held liable for copyright infringement if it failed to block its customer DDL-Music. [READ MORE]
Pearl Jam hit out at proposals in US Congress that seek to introduce new regulations over the ticketing market. The band said that they supported some of the proposed BOSS Act, but that elements of it would empower ticket touts. In particular a new rule that would ban promoters from prohibiting the resale of their tickets and a new requirement that promoters declare what percentage of tickets are going on general sale. The Congressman behind the BOSS Act, Bill Pascrell, defended his proposals arguing that the band had been “led astray about my legislation”. [READ MORE]
A British minister played down rumours that the UK government had radical plans for overhauling the BBC. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps was responding to a report in The Sunday Times that said ministers had already decided that they wanted to abolish the licence fee, shift the BBC over to a subscription model, and force the broadcaster to sell off most of its radio stations. Shapps said people should be “pretty cautious of some unattributed comments” and that there were no “preordained” decisions regarding the BBC’s future. [READ MORE]
It emerged that the US Recording Academy had begun mediation with its ousted CEO Deborah Dugan. She had tried to get her former employer to allow her to take her many grievances to court, but the Academy insisted on enforcing a term in her employment contract that says disputes must go to private mediation. The key issue is the termination of Dugan’s contract and the accompanying financial settlement. However, with Dugan having made so many damaging allegations against the Academy, a closed doors deal with its former chief isn’t going to fix any of the reputation damage already suffered by the music industry organisation. [READ MORE]
