March 11, 2015

Forgettable Song Could Have Long-Term Negative Effects For Other Artists

March 11, 2015/ Greg Kanaan

You remember Blurred Lines right? It was the smash hit single of 2013 that simultaneously launched (for being catchy) and destroyed (for being rapey) Robin Thicke's career. Well, I'm here to report that this utterly forgettable pop song has now has earned an inauspicious spot in our culture because of a surprisingly foreboding jury decision that found against Thicke and his co-writers Pharrell Williams and Clifford "T.I." Harris, Jr.

March 10, 2015

When It Comes to Fighting The Commoditization of Art, Wu Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing Ta Fuck Wit

March 10, 2015/ Greg Kanaan

Last year, Forbes broke the story that Wu-Tang Clan was producing a new 31-track double-album called Once Upon A Time in Shaolin. Only one copy of the album would be produced and auctioned off to the highest bidder. According to RZA, the founding member of NY-based rap group, this was done to combat the heavily commoditized world of modern artistic endeavors.

March 03, 2015

Protecting The Brand: Taylor Swift Seizes Control of Her Brand, Probably Won’t Suffer For It

March 03, 2015/ Greg Kanaan

The past few months have seen a lot of really intriguing legal activity from Swift’s people. First she took her music down from Spotify (by far the most popular streaming music service), meaning the only way to get her new album 1989 is to pay for it directly. A few weeks ago she filed for trademark protection of the phrase “this sick beat” because apparently she thinks there’s a lot of money to be made from it. And just last month she started issuing takedown notices to fans who were selling knock-off Swift merch on Etsy.

February 03, 2015

On Being Nice: Tom Petty Edition

February 03, 2015/ Greg Kanaan

Being in opposition to one another doesn’t mean you can’t be magnanimous too. It’s that old chestnut about catching more flies with honey than with vinegar. Judges, juries, and lawyers are people too, and the more they hate you, the less likely they’ll sympathize with you, even if you’re the victim. And while, in theory, the legal system should operate free of bias, the reality is that the “system” is made up of people. And like it or not, people are susceptible to all kinds of prejudices, even if we don’t realize it.

January 13, 2015

Sony’s No Good Terrible Very Bad Year Just Demonstrated The Need For Copyright Reform

January 13, 2015/ Greg Kanaan

It’s really really really really really really really hard to avoid infringing on copyrights, even if you’re a big multi-national corporation. Sony should have known better, but there is just so much content out there - visual, musical, and otherwise - and the internet has made it tremendously easy to access all of it instantly and without much forethought.

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