On September 6, 2024, Media Vox Polygon published an article by Nicole Carpenter on the topic of music licensing issues related to video games, tv shows, and movies. The article quotes Daniel Schacht, Music & Entertainment and IP Co-chair.
Excerpted from the article:
"Movies are perceived to have a longer shelf life than video games, or at least they were in the past. Movie producers were more likely to get a license in perpetuity for that reason. Like in TV shows and movies, the video games that do get delisted for music licensing issues are often older ones that publishers didn't expect demand decades later. Instead of a perpetual license, video games are often issued "a more limited license," Schacht said, that requires the maker to "to come back to renegotiate – and pay – for additional rights when they need them."
If publishers and studios can't — or don't want to — renegotiate, they've got to pull their game, or patch out the music. "The infringer could be on the hook for a lot of money and be unable to use the music" if they keep using music with expired licenses, Schact said."
Read the full article, Do TV shows and movies lose rights to songs like video games do?
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