WASHINGTON (February 29, 2024)—In January, Universal Music Group claimed that TikTok was not paying or protecting its artists enough, so they began removing major and popular songs from the platform. According to a TikTok spokesperson, UMG’s catalog “represents anywhere from 20-30% of popular songs on TikTok, depending on the territory.” Artists like Taylor Swift, BTS, Adele were the first group to be removed; now SZA, Doja Cat and Marias Carey’s hits are being taken off the platform.
Experts at the George Washington University are available to provide commentary, insight and analysis on this development. If you’d like to speak with an expert please contact Media Relations Specialist Shannon Mitchell at gwmedia
gwu [dot] edu (gwmedia[at]gwu[dot]edu).
Robert Brauneis, Michael J. McKeon Professor of Intellectual Property Law; Co-Director of the Intellectual Property Law Program; Co-Director of the Dean Dinwoodey Center for Intellectual Property Studies; Member, Managing Board, Munich Intellectual Property Law Center and the George Washington University Law School. Professor Brauneis is an expert on copyright, trademark, property and constitutional law. He is the co-author of a leading casebook on copyright law, as well as numerous articles.
On this specific issue, Professor Brauneis sat down with GW Media Relations Specialist Shannon Mitchell to share his thoughts on challenges in Intellectual Property Law, which can be viewed here.
Imani Cheers, associate professor of media and public affairs, is an award-winning digital storyteller, director, producer, and filmmaker. As a professor of practice, she uses a variety of mediums including video, photography, television, and film to document and discuss issues impacting and involving people of the African Diaspora. Cheers is also an expert on diversity in Hollywood, specifically the representation of Black women in television and film.
“Music is what really brought people together in 2023 in a time when we’re so fractured as a world, but really as a country,” Cheers says. “To have these particular artists to say, ‘we’re going to use our artistry, our music, to bring people together to tour, to share our work,' I think it’s just a really beautiful way that we were all able to come together, laugh, dance, and cry a little bit, but all in a good way.”
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