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Copyright violations catch up to Midjourney AI as lawsuit looms

Brandon Foster on January 19, 2023

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Copyright: Intellectual property rights are legal rights that protect creative works and inventions.

These rights include patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets.

Patents protect inventions and discoveries.

Copyrights protect creative works such as literature, music, and art.

Trademarks protect brand names and logos, and trade secrets protect confidential business information.

These rights give creators and inventors control over how their work is used and can prevent others from using it without permission.

Midjourney AI has ignored these intellectual rights, despite their importance, leading to a new lawsuit.

The news

A group of artists has filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.

They are charging DeviantArt, Midjourney, and Stability AI for alleged infringement of artists’ copyright in the creation of AI art.

Joseph Saveri Law Firm LLP, Matthew Butterick, and Lockridge, Grindal, Nauen PLLP represent the artists.

“As burgeoning technology continues to change every aspect of the modern world, it’s critical that we recognize and protect the rights of artists against unlawful theft and fraud,” said Joseph Saveri.

“This case represents a larger fight for preserving ownership rights for all artists and other creators.”

The lawsuit

According to the lawsuit, all involved artists seek compensation for the damages DeviantArt, Midjourney, and Stability AI caused.

The goal of the lawsuit is to prevent future harm.

Matthew Butterick wrote a post about the case, saying that the three companies are targeted by writers, artists, programmers, and other creators.

Most of the plaintiffs are concerned about using AI systems to be trained on a plethora of copyrighted work without consent, credit, and compensation.

The lawsuit not only seeks damages for violations but also seeks an injunction to avoid future problems.

Artist Karla Ortiz shared his excitement about the lawsuit on Twitter, saying:

“I am proud to be one of the plaintiffs for this class action suit. I am proud to do this with fellow peers, that we’ll give a voice to potentially thousands of affected artists.”

“I’m proud that now we fight for our rights not just in the public sphere but in the courts.”

The connection between the companies

While DeviantArt, Midjourney, and Stability AI are different companies, they all use Stable Diffusion.

Stable Diffusion is an AI product based on the billion images in the LAION-5B dataset.

According to the lawsuit, it was created with the involvement of billions of copyrighted images.

It also alleges that the images lead to the following:

Direct copyright infringement
Vicarious copyright infringement related to forgeries
Violations of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act
Violation of class members’ rights to publicity
Breach of contract pertaining to the DeviantArt Terms of Service

Importance of copyright in art

Intellectual property rights, particularly copyright, are crucial for visual artists who create paintings and digital illustrations.

Copyright gives the artist exclusive rights to control how their works are used, which includes the right to reproduce, distribute, display, and create derivative works.

This means that others cannot use the artist’s work without their permission, including reproducing it, selling copies of it, or using it in other works without the artist’s consent.

These rights are essential for visual artists as they allow them to protect and monetize their work.

Without copyright, others could quickly reproduce and sell copies of an artist’s work without providing any compensation to the artist.

This would make it difficult for visual artists to make a living from their work.

They can choose to license their work for specific uses, such as for commercial use in advertising or film, and can set terms for how the work is used.

This allows artists to ensure that their work is used in a way that aligns with their vision and values.

In the digital age, copyrights are even more important for visual artists working with digital illustrations and paintings.

With the ease of reproducing and distributing digital files, it’s even more critical for visual artists to control how their work is used, distributed and monetized.

In summary, intellectual property rights, particularly copyright, are essential for visual artists as they allow them to protect and monetize their work and control how it is used.

It is essential for artists to make a living from their work and ensure that it is used in a way that aligns with their vision and values.

References:

DeviantArt, Midjourney face lawsuit for using ‘billions of copyrighted’ images in AI art

‘AI art’ companies & DeviantArt are being sued by artists

Ivreeproductions Founder Sheds Light on Becoming a Beacon of Hope for Aspiring Artists

Jerry Cooper on December 19, 2020

People get acknowledged for a lot of things. While some are glorified for their brilliance and countless achievements, others are recognized for their service and noble acts. For Ivree Moore, the CEO of Ivreeproductions, her ability to spark a passion within others gave her a sterling reputation.

Needless to say, the music industry is a hot pot of talents and creative spirits. However, only those who are determined and passion-driven can climb the summits of success in such a cutthroat industry. Believing that these skilled individuals need the right amount of push to propel their musical career upwards, Ivree Moore uses her expertise to help aspiring artists turn their dreams into reality. Thus, she created Ivreeproductions, an artist development agency that transforms natural gifts into tangible assets.

Zealously established for budding artists and developing musicians across the industry, Ivreeproductions flawlessly sets passion into motion. With the founder’s exceptional talents and business savvy, this agency has continued to offer opportunities for aspiring hopefuls while attaining progressive development and improved branding. In other words, Ivreeproductions is an agency that is packed with music production, social media management, artist or brand development, and marketing services that ultimately help artists reach the peak of triumph in the realms of music and entertainment.

Rooted in three different locations – Los Angeles, Hollywood, and Shanghai – Ivreeproductions takes pride in its ability to walk the talk. With its 90-day program, the company assures to produce outcomes that take artists towards greater heights. Proving worthy of its reputable image across the industry, its roster of clients includes artists from Major Label Capitol Records, where the company rebrands artists, as well as those from NBC, ABC, and Disney networks. The agency is also contracted with various indie film and reality tv programs across several networks.

However, the overarching success of Ivreeproductions would not have been possible without the founder’s incomparable list of experiences and unparalleled expertise in the craft. Ever since Ivree Moore took a step towards the world of beats and melodic tunes, she has been gracing the music industry with her talents, undeniable finesse, and creative flair. At a young age, Ivree became the youngest violinist to play for the Antelope Valley Symphony Orchestra and Master Chorale. Throughout her high school years, Ivree studied under the direct supervision of Walter Reed and Carlsbad High School’s internationally acclaimed musical conductors, which led her to attain two prestigious first place trophies and excellent ratings in ten district orchestral competitions across Los Angeles and San Diego counties.

Proving to be passionately driven by the intricacies of her craft, Ivree then proceeded to finish both her college and postgraduate studies, where she completed a double master’s degree in music production and business from the Berklee School of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. With an impeccable set of skills and talents in her arsenal, it comes as no surprise how Ivree managed to climb the summits of success in her career. Since her launch, she has been working with countless well-known artists, such as Missy Elliot, Queen Latifah, En Vogue, and Destiny’s Child. Seeing that her achievements may benefit others, Ivree decided to help aspiring individuals shape their careers to fit into the molds of success. Hence, Ivreeproductions came into existence.

Imbued with a talent that inspires and a heart that helps others, Ivree Moore is truly someone to look out for. And as she continues to take the reins of Ivreeproductions, Ivree hopes to become a beacon of hope for those who seek to find a place in the music space.

To know more about Ivreeproductions, you may visit its website.

Musical Duo The Sophisticated Psychos on the Importance of Forgiving Through Music

Jerry Cooper on December 17, 2020

Photographer: Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock

The beauty of art is that it often acts as a medium to reflect on real-world issues. Whether it’s music, movies, or web/television series, the arts have a way of influencing or bringing people together for a cause. With music, you can sing and make beats about various topics or experiences that can connect with listeners. Kyriaki Chonacas is one-half of The Sophisticated Psychos, a musical duo and comedian pair that regularly post their works on The Sophisticated Psychos YouTube Channel.

Kyriaki Chonacas, also known as Katie Chonacas and Kyriaki, is a Greek poet and DJ from Detroit. Chonacas found herself developing a love for music as she grew up listening to Motown. Before Kyriaki entered her pre-teen years, she knew that she had a destiny and a calling. The seeker and would-be musician & actress held on tight and protected her inner child and her spirit growing up.

Chonacas had it all planned out. Kyriaki needed to build her name, her legacy, and her brand. However, in the 9th grade, tragedy struck. A boy in her class took advantage of her and took her innocence away. That same day, she was shamed and guilted by a group of girls she had considered her friends.

The situation proved to be a stern wake up call, and Chonacas put on armor and took responsibility. She would go on to wear those badges through the years of growing up. Kyriaki struggled emotionally, held up a strong front, and held herself back, refusing to speak up or tell people how she felt.

Kyriaki would later party in the heart of the Detroit underground music scene. Kyriaki would go face-to-face, listening to pioneering DJs like Bad Boy Bill, Diesel Boy, Carl Cox, and Plastikman, among others. After internationally touring opening up in Europe and South Africa with 50 Cent and the G-Unit Camp, Chonacas would later pursue a music career as a DJ, taking inspiration from her roots in the underground music scene.

Despite entering a new phase of her life and chasing her childhood dream, the hurt would remain. Even as Kyriaki traveled the world and pursued a successful career with a smile that spoke of hope and positivity, she still kept the habit of building herself up, running, and tearing herself down. The years were full of ups and downs, but through it, Chonacas recognized the dysfunctional patterns, and now she has been able to see the red flags and take actionable steps to build herself up once and for all.

Kyriaki made peace and is rebranding herself after crossing paths with vocalist/songwriter/producer and Bay Area native Nicky Scorpio of The Sophisticated Psychos. Together, they would embark on a musical journey of vulnerability with raw, edgy subject matter that deals with abuse, mental health, and society. One of their missions as a duo is to change people’s perspective on themselves. Chonacas recently released her first solo EP titled Hypnotic Energy on all streaming platforms in collaboration with Subtle Energy.

The Sophisticated Psychos play with electronic beats that are encoded with 639 Hz healing frequencies. 639 Hz healing frequencies fosters forgiveness within ourselves and with our relationships and stimulates the higher heart chakra. On a planetary level, Kyriaki believes that now more than ever we all need to learn to forgive ourselves and one another a lot more. The Hypnotic Energy EP was mixed and mastered by Nicky Scorpio.

Now that Chonacas has finally forgiven herself and is in a hopeful faith based place while pursuing her dreams and building her brands, she hopes to land regular roles in animation series and be a household name working as an actor in films and television. Chonacas also foresees becoming a household name globally, participating in women’s organizations and speaking to the masses, leading by example through kindness, compassion, and the shared arts.

Learn more about Saint Kyriaki aka Katie Chonacas and The Sophisticated Psychos, you may visit her website and subscribe to her new popular She’s All Over the Place Podcast The Sophisticated Psychos music is also available on Spotify and music videos on their YouTube Channel.

Voth Reveals the Key to Their Country Music Success

Jerry Cooper on November 7, 2020

There are artists and bands today that play with such chemistry that one would think they were family. But for the Alternative Country band Voth, they’re not just close to the likeness of a family. They’re literally family. Four siblings- Caleb, Hannah, Cody, and Jacob- have risen up in the country music ranks.

Voth’s frontman, Caleb, plays the guitar and sings. His sister Hannah and brother Cody take up vocals while Jacob plays the drums for the quartet. Together, they come up with a sound and vibe that continues to capture the hearts and minds of listeners from all over the country and beyond. With soul-soothing tracks like “I Choose Us,” “American Rebels,” and “Sweetest Regret,” Voth knows what good music is, and they deliver it to their listeners every time.

The children of pastors in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the four siblings virtually grew up around everything gospel and country. They would also later pick up other musical influences while exploring melodies and beats as a single unit. Caleb, Hannah, Cody, and Jacob spent many days growing up dancing to the sounds of Roger Miller, John Denver, Alison Krauss, Diamond Rio, Toby Keith, Johnny Cash, Reba, and Pure Prairie League. Voth quickly maintains how crucial their parents were to their love for music and determination to pursue it professionally. Today, they bring pride, not just to the Voth family, but also to Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the rich and cultural roots of Route 66.

As a family and country band, the quartet’s chemistry is unmistakable. Even their songwriting process turns into a family affair. While Caleb writes most of the songs, all three other siblings pitch in and play a crucial role in the music development process. “Hannah and Cody add the harmonies and also possibly alternate melodies to the song,” Caleb shares. “Jacob then really challenges the song structure making sure it flows and is truly authentic. He is a hard critic and kind of tells me how it is.” The quad of musical phenomena come together to form melodies that serenade crowds and listeners everywhere.

After releasing a string of successful singles like “I Choose Us” and “Sweetest Regret” back in 2018, Voth would release its first EP album this year, with tracks like “Right Direction,” “Pyro,” “Seventeen,” and a few others. Today, their songs continue to make rounds on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and other digital channels. On the giant music streaming service, Spotify, Voth’s music gathers over 7,000 listeners a month. “Sweetest Regret” is their biggest streaming hit to date, having gathered close to 300,000 streams and still growing. “I Choose Us,” follows with over 130,000 listens. Today, five of Voth’s songs have now hit five digits in streams on Spotify.

Together, the Voth family is ready to face any challenge that comes their way. They know where they want to go and continually find ways to get there. And while they admit that shifting to professional music has been nothing short of challenging, they unite and overcome all tragedies and trials. More than being a music group, they are truly a family that sticks together.

With that, it’s safe to say for Voth and Alternative Country music fans that the band is here to stay for a very long time. They still have so much to offer and look to over-deliver every time. To learn more about Voth, visit their website, Instagram account, or Spotify.

Dylan Blau Helps Upcoming Talent Stand Out in a Highly-Competitive Influencer Industry

Jerry Cooper on August 19, 2020

Dylan Blau, the founder of The Blau Agency, takes the lead in helping people build a brand and grow their followers on social media. As a social media expert and entrepreneur, Dylan knows how to make the most out of the digital space through his strategies for credibility and profitability on social media.

The Blau Agency is a talent management and social media branding company that helps up and coming artists from all walks of life. Dylan Blau specializes in helping his clients with branding, marketing, lead generation, sales, networking, collaborations, website, content creation, and personal management.

Dylan Blau has worked with rappers, celebrities, and online influencers who are now running at the top of their game. Unlike other textbook marketing professionals in the industry who learned through school, Dylan takes his expertise and foundation from his fruitful years in the industry. Understanding the practical application of how to use social media has allowed Dylan to maximize other brands potential for income in an oversaturated market.

His consistent ability to test new concepts and take risks to learn is how Dylan continues to lead the way on social media. Recently joining TikTok, he already had a video go viral with over 1 million views, and he has over 29K followers. Dylan Blau prides himself on his proven track record of success and experimentation. Dylan tackles every hurdle head-on with his innovative strategies that have propelled many to new levels of success. When it comes to problem solving and creating new ideas for brands, Dylan is known for coming up with the most out of the box concepts that always over deliver on expectations and results.

Social media is one of the most inexpensive and convenient ways one can market themselves. Given the direction of professionals such as Dylan Blau, exposure across digital platforms can be life-changing. The Blau Agency provides the same level of expertise as any Hollywood agency, however with Dylan’s unique approach and strategies, he has created an organic buzz and word of mouth about his new venture.

“I want to leave behind a legendary impact and help millions of people all over the world,” said Dylan Blau. Every day, an artist seems to appear from one corner of the globe. Dylan said that while social media gives everyone the chance to be famous, many influencers still fail, unable to turn their influence into a profit. This knowledge gap motivated Dylan to educate upcoming artists to turn their skills into business ventures. Furthermore, the expert stressed that having a reliable agency will help an artist go through a step-by-step process to turn their dreams into reality.

Currently, Dylan Blau is working with TikTok influencers to help them leverage their prominence and success in monetizing their brand. Such personalities gain millions of views on the platform. Dylan is guiding them on how to create a real business while doing what they are passionate about. “I love to work with content creators and rising entrepreneurs who can benefit the most from understanding how the business of social media really works,” Dylan Blau said.

Dylan Blau builds long-lasting relationships with his clients. Whatever an artist may be doing, either releasing a new song or starting a modeling career, Dylan evens the playing field for everyone by leveraging social media. “Even more compelling than my passion for business and entrepreneurship is my unquenchable desire to help others,” Dylan said.

On top of being a social media expert and entrepreneur, Dylan Blau is also an internationally known dog trainer with over 13 years of experience in taming dogs with aggression and behavior issues. Dylan also authored two books. One book is called Social Media Secrets, where he discussed game-changing strategies for dominating online platforms. The other book is entitled We Are Dog Training, tackling dog training secrets and spreading the message that everyone is capable of training dogs or themselves.

To learn more about The Blau Agency, visit their website. Also, check out Dylan Blau on Instagram.

How Entertainment Mogul Cutty Has Been Giving Indie Artists the Opportunity to Shine

Jerry Cooper on July 21, 2020

Many people have been saying that the next generation is the hope of the nation. But we often hear stories from the news about parents neglecting their children—those that grow up without proper guidance end up becoming delinquents, with only a few of them choosing to break away from such a lifestyle.

Although there are people that hope to help them turn their lives around, not many can relate to the struggle that those children have lived with their entire lives. One of the few that do is entertainment mogul Cutty.

Cutty, whose real name is Terrance Disman, grew up in New Jersey. He is motivated to help the youth break the system after his little brother got incarcerated at the age of 16. Cutty was devastated at seeing his best friend put away in jail. Since then, Cutty has been doing everything he can to avoid trouble and help his brother, who is currently on his second appeal. He was inspired to change the lives of young people before they get to that point.

The entertainment mogul believed that the best platform to do so was through his YouTube channel. Knowing that the youth spent a lot of time listening to music and trying to make it big like their idols through YouTube, he felt it was the right place to set up his channel Cutty TV.

Cutty TV has become an indie platform that helps give young, aspiring artists a chance to showcase what they have and for small businesses to advertise their brands, products, or services. His channel has been giving indie artists their opportunities and has even helped them get to major shows and tours. Cutty was able to get a lot of those artists to get major features with established artists in the industry.

Since the age of 22, Cutty has flown artists from New Jersey to California on an indie tour. For many of them, it was the first time leaving the state lines. He has been responsible for many artist’s opportunities around his area. Cutty has also interviewed more than 20+ indie artists on his YouTube channel.

His channel has been running consistently for five years, and the opportunities he has given have really benefited the artists he’s worked with. Cutty TV received a nomination for the Philly Hip-Hop Award back in 2018 for Best Webcast/TV Platform.

Cutty has also recently dropped a mixtape titled “Worldwide Tunes,” where he put artists’ works from across the country into one mixed tape. He then distributed them out to 25 countries all over the globe. Cutty has also been featured in a mobile video game called Everybody Beefs. In the game, Cutty can be used as a playable character to face off against other entertainers.

This year, Cutty announced his blog called Jersey Watch, which also gives indie artists new opportunities. This is something that New Jersey has lacked as most of the opportunities are available in Los Angeles and New York.

To know more about Cutty TV, you may visit their website or follow them for updates on Instagram.

Tag: Artists