Tech Crunch reports: “Policy chiefs from AT&T and Charter, along with senior executives at Apple, Amazon, Google and Twitter will face questions from the Senate Commerce Committee later this month about how each company approaches safeguards to consumer privacy. Noticeably absent is Facebook; though the committee says the witness list is subject to change.”
Deadline Hollywood reports: “European Union lawmakers today adopted a revised negotiating position on a series of controversial copyright rules known as the Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market. European Parliament members voted 438 to 226 on the reforms that seek fair compensation for copyrighted material, but which still face opposition over concerns the regs could be a blow to a free and open internet.”
The Hollywood Reporter reports: “Hulu is upping its unscripted inventory. The streamer has inked an expansive licensing deal with Discovery that will see it add the media company’s programming to its live and on-demand subscription products. The multi-year agreement means that Hulu will now be the exclusive non-Discovery on-demand streaming home for such programs as Deadliest Catch, Mythbusters and Say Yes to the Dress.”
Variety reports: “BMI broke two of its own records in the fiscal year ending June 30, generating $1.199 billion in revenue and distributing $1.118 billion in royalties to its songwriters, composers and publishers, an increase of $95 million, or 9% higher than the previous year. The announcement says ‘These results mark the most public performance and highest royalty distribution of any music rights organization in the world’.”
The Verge reports: “Facebook’s moderators can’t possibly look through every single image that gets posted on the enormous platform, so Facebook is building AI to help them out. In a blog post today, Facebook describes a system it’s built called Rosetta that uses machine learning to identify text in images and videos and then transcribe it into something that’s machine readable.”
Venture Beat reports: “Roblox, the user-generated game world with 70 million monthly users, has teamed up with the National Football League to create virtual helmets representing all 32 teams. The deal represents a brand exposure opportunity for the NFL and Roblox, which raised $150 million last week. Users can select and wear their favorite NFL team helmets on their Roblox avatars starting tomorrow.”
Deadline Hollywood reports: “Starz has passed 3 million subscribers in the U.S. on its stand-alone streaming app, Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer confirmed this morning during the company’s annual shareholder meeting in Toronto. While the $4.4 billion acquisition of Starz, which closed in late 2016, is already paying dividends, many shareholders are wondering about the next move for Lionsgate.”
The Hollywood Reporter reports: “Paramount Pictures must again face a lawsuit from a musicians guild over a Renee Zellweger film scored in Slovakia thanks to a decision on Monday from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. The American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada brought suit over Same Kind of Different as Me and alleged that the foreign score recorded for the film.”
Variety reports: “Video game publisher Electronic Arts is in trouble with the Belgium government for its use of loot boxes in the ‘FIFA’ franchise, according to the Dutch paper Metro. The Brussels public prosecutor’s office is conducting a criminal investigation into the company, Metro reports. Earlier this year, the Belgian Gaming Commission decided many forms of loot boxes in video games are illegal gambling because players don’t exactly know what virtual items they’re getting when they buy them.”
Billboard reports: “For the past few years, Los Angeles-based startup Jammcard has endeavored to help connect musicians in various cities to each other on a professional invite-only network to either form backing bands for the likes of Gwen Stefani, Zedd and Maren Morris or for exclusive events called JammJams. Today, the company has announced a new $1 million funding round, with the legendary Quincy Jones taking part.”
