3 Count: Jetflicks

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1: Five Men Convicted for Operating Major Illegal Streaming Service

First off today, the US Department of Justice reports that, in Las Vegas, a jury has convicted five men who were accused of operating Jetflicks, a now-shuttered pirate streaming service.

According to the DOJ, Jetflicks was launched in 2007 as an illegal alternative to services like Netflix and Hulu. It quickly amassed a large content library and generated “millions of dollars” from subscription fees.

However, all five men accused of running the service have been convicted of criminal copyright infringement. One of the men was also convicted of two counts of money laundering. That man faces up to 48 years in prison while the others face up to 5. No date for sentencing has been set.

2: Ye Settles With Donna Summer’s Estate to End Copyright Lawsuit Over ‘Vultures 1’ Song

Next up today, Bill Donahue at Billboard reports that the rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, has reached a settlement with Donna Summer’s estate over the use of Summer’s music in a recent track.

In February, Ye released the song Good (Don’t Die) on his album Vultures 1. However, the estate quickly sued Ye, alleging that the song used music from Sommers’ 1977 song I Feel Love. This resulted in Good (Don’t Die) being removed from streaming services and taken offline broadly.

The two sides have now reached a settlement, though it will not result in the song returning. According to the estate, the settlement does not include a license to use Summer’s work, meaning it will remain offline, save unofficial sources on YouTube.

3: Warner Music Sued Over Tom Petty Documentary

Finally today, Chris Cooke at Complete Music Update reports that filmmaker Martyn Atkins has filed a lawsuit against Warner Music for using footage he shot in 1994 in a recent documentary about the musician Tom Petty.

In 2021, Warner Music released the documentary Somewhere You Feel Free. The movie focused on the making of Petty’s 1994 album Wildflowers. However, according to Atkins, the film contains some 45 minutes of footage he shot as the album was being made.

Atkins claimed that the label approached him about using the footage but ultimately decided not to seek a license. He claims that the footage was shot on his own time and at his own cost, making him the sole holder of the copyright in it.

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