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(Reuters) -Warner Music Group has settled a copyright infringement case with artificial intelligence company Udio and will jointly launch a new platform for AI song creation, the companies said on Wednesday. Warner's deal follows a similar settlement last month between rival Universal Music Group and Udio, which resolved a lawsuit accusing the startup of using copyrighted recordings without permission to train its models, at a time when a surge in AI-generated tracks has increased pressure on the industry to clearly label such content. For record labels, such agreements with AI developers present an opportunity to expand revenue sources, diminish litigation costs, and utilize sophisticated AI instruments for accelerated song development. Under Warner's agreement with Udio, the companies plan to roll out a music-generation platform in 2026 that will be trained on and offer output based on licensed and authorized recordings. (Reporting by Jaspreet Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid)

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LONDON (Reuters) -Britain said on Wednesday it would ban the resale of tickets to concerts, sport and other live events for profit, disrupting ticket touts and the platforms that benefit from their activities. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said touts were ripping off fans by using bots to snap up batches of tickets for coveted shows and reselling them at sky-high prices. "Our new proposals will shut down the touts' racket and make world-class music, comedy, theatre and sport affordable for everyone," she said, after the government had promised action. Tickets for tours by Harry Styles, Taylor Swift, Oasis and others have been offered on resale sites for hugely inflated prices minutes after they sell out. Touts use sophisticated automated "bots" to beat online queues, the government said. Shares in U.S. company StubHub, the owner of resale site Viagogo, fell 14% on Monday after the plan was reported. The government had consulted on setting a cap of up to 30% above face value for the resale of tickets. But it said on Wednesday that resales above face value – defined as original ticket price plus unavoidable fees – would be illegal. Service fees charged by platforms will also be capped to prevent the ban being undermined, it said. The new rules will apply to any platform reselling tickets to UK fans, including secondary ticketing platforms and social media websites, it said. Businesses who break the regulations could face financial penalties of up to 10% of global turnover. Viagogo said on Tuesday that processes to verify tickets would be a more effective way to stop illegal activity. "Evidence shows price caps have repeatedly failed fans. In countries like Ireland and Australia, fraud rates are nearly four times higher than in the UK as price caps push consumers towards unregulated sites," a Viagogo spokesperson said. "Opening the market to greater competition also helps drive prices down, benefiting fans." (Reporting by Paul Sandle;Editing by Alison Williams)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

LONDON (Reuters) -Britain said on Wednesday it would ban the resale of tickets to concerts, sport and other live events for profit, disrupting ticket touts and the platforms that benefit from their activities. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said touts were ripping off fans by using bots to snap up batches of tickets for coveted shows and reselling them at sky-high prices. "Our new proposals will shut down the touts' racket and make world-class music, comedy, theatre and sport affordable for everyone," she said, after the government had promised action. Tickets for tours by Harry Styles, Taylor Swift, Oasis and others have been offered on resale sites for hugely inflated prices minutes after they sell out. Touts use sophisticated automated "bots" to beat online queues, the government said. Shares in U.S. company StubHub, the owner of resale site Viagogo, fell 14% on Monday after the plan was reported. The government had consulted on setting a cap of up to 30% above face value for the resale of tickets. But it said on Wednesday that resales above face value – defined as original ticket price plus unavoidable fees – would be illegal. Service fees charged by platforms will also be capped to prevent the ban being undermined, it said. The new rules will apply to any platform reselling tickets to UK fans, including secondary ticketing platforms and social media websites, it said. Businesses who break the regulations could face financial penalties of up to 10% of global turnover. Viagogo said on Tuesday that processes to verify tickets would be a more effective way to stop illegal activity. "Evidence shows price caps have repeatedly failed fans. In countries like Ireland and Australia, fraud rates are nearly four times higher than in the UK as price caps push consumers towards unregulated sites," a Viagogo spokesperson said. "Opening the market to greater competition also helps drive prices down, benefiting fans." (Reporting by Paul Sandle;Editing by Alison Williams)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Manuel Ausloos PARIS (Reuters) -What might have been Moliere's next play if the 17th-century French playwright had not died after collapsing on stage while performing "The Imaginary Invalid"? It's a question French scholars, artists and an AI firm teamed up to answer. The result is "L'Astrologue ou les Faux Presages" (The Astrologer or the False Omens), a comedy that will debut next year in the Palace of Versailles, where Louis XIV, Moliere's patron, held court centuries ago. "What we thought was, let's try to recreate a bit of Moliere's creative process using the current state of AI," said Hugo Caselles-Dupre, a researcher in using AI for artistic creation, who was involved in the project. A FRENCH ICON Moliere holds iconic status in France, to the extent that French is sometimes referred to as "the language of Moliere". His plays, characterised by satirical wit and social commentary, are widely taught in French high schools and performed in theatres in the French-speaking world. Despite the patronage of Louis XIV, Moliere lived in hardship for many years and died of exhaustion at the age of 51, leaving his devotees to wonder who would have been his next target. According to the "Moliere Ex Machina" project backed by French artificial intelligence firm Mistral AI, he might have taken aim at astrologers. "We looked for what kind of play (Moliere) might have written. One of the subjects he addressed, but subtly woven into several of his other works, is astrology," Mickael Bouffard, an art historian and director of the play, said. The plot centres on Geronte, a gullible bourgeois who falls prey to a fraudulent astrologer scheming to marry off Geronte's daughter to a deceitful wigmaker, despite her love for another. The AI model was not left to run loose. The production was tweaked by scholars and researchers who corrected historical inaccuracies and other details. But the model offered scholars a deeper understanding of Moliere's craft, more than 350 years after his death. "I have learned things about Moliere that I had missed because they're so scattered throughout his work," Bouffard said. (Reporting by Manuel Ausloo; Writing by Inti Landauro; Editing by Ros Russell)

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By Francois Murphy VIENNA (Reuters) -Austrian national broadcaster ORF, which will host next year's Eurovision Song Contest, said it wants Israel to take part despite several countries' objections and hopes it can host the biggest event in years despite boycott threats. Eurovision, an annual feast of pop music and high camp from around Europe and as far afield as Australia, became embroiled in a dispute over the war in Gaza in 2025 and 2024 and was hit by street protests over Israel's participation. The national broadcasters of five countries – the Netherlands, Slovenia, Iceland, Ireland and Spain – have called for Israel to be excluded from the contest over the number of civilians killed during Israel's war against Hamas. Those broadcasters have said they will boycott the 70th song contest in Vienna or consider not taking part if Israel does. "Now is the time for diplomacy," ORF Director General Roland Weissmann told a press conference when asked about talks ahead of next month's annual meeting of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), at which the issue will be discussed and potentially voted on. The EBU is an alliance of public broadcasters that organises and co-produces the annual event. "We have used the time wisely, we have held diplomatic talks behind the scenes, and I am very, very optimistic that we will have a record number of participating broadcasters," he added. Austria and Germany are among Israel's staunchest allies in the European Union, on account of their historical atonement for the Nazi Holocaust. They hope a U.S.-brokered ceasefire that took effect in Gaza on October 10 will soften opposition to Israel taking part. Hamas-led militants took 251 hostages during the October 7 attacks on southern Israel and killed another 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed nearly 69,000 Palestinians, health officials in the enclave say. Three countries' broadcasters are likely to rejoin the song contest next year, organisers said: Romania, Bulgaria and Moldova. They withdrew over costs. Canada has also been reportedly considering joining, which would make it the Americas' first participant. Asked if Canada should join, Weissmann said: "Hurrah, hurrah, Canada! Yes, of course. Everyone is welcome. We are happy to host the world." (Editing by Alexandra Hudson)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Francois Murphy VIENNA (Reuters) -Austrian national broadcaster ORF, which will host next year's Eurovision Song Contest, said it wants Israel to take part despite several countries' objections and hopes it can host the biggest event in years despite boycott threats. Eurovision, an annual feast of pop music and high camp from around Europe and as far afield as Australia, became embroiled in a dispute over the war in Gaza in 2025 and 2024 and was hit by street protests over Israel's participation. The national broadcasters of five countries – the Netherlands, Slovenia, Iceland, Ireland and Spain – have called for Israel to be excluded from the contest over the number of civilians killed during Israel's war against Hamas. Those broadcasters have said they will boycott the 70th song contest in Vienna or consider not taking part if Israel does. "Now is the time for diplomacy," ORF Director General Roland Weissmann told a press conference when asked about talks ahead of next month's annual meeting of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), at which the issue will be discussed and potentially voted on. The EBU is an alliance of public broadcasters that organises and co-produces the annual event. "We have used the time wisely, we have held diplomatic talks behind the scenes, and I am very, very optimistic that we will have a record number of participating broadcasters," he added. Austria and Germany are among Israel's staunchest allies in the European Union, on account of their historical atonement for the Nazi Holocaust. They hope a U.S.-brokered ceasefire that took effect in Gaza on October 10 will soften opposition to Israel taking part. Hamas-led militants took 251 hostages during the October 7 attacks on southern Israel and killed another 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed nearly 69,000 Palestinians, health officials in the enclave say. Three countries' broadcasters are likely to rejoin the song contest next year, organisers said: Romania, Bulgaria and Moldova. They withdrew over costs. Canada has also been reportedly considering joining, which would make it the Americas' first participant. Asked if Canada should join, Weissmann said: "Hurrah, hurrah, Canada! Yes, of course. Everyone is welcome. We are happy to host the world." (Editing by Alexandra Hudson)

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By Hanna Rantala LONDON (Reuters) -Actors Elizabeth Olsen and Miles Teller say their new movie "Eternity" combines comedy, romance and big philosophical questions.     The movie is set in the afterlife, where people revert to the age at which they were at their happiest and have one week to choose their final destination.      Teller and Olsen play older married couple Larry and Joan Cutler, who upon their arrival are shocked to meet Joan's first husband, Luke (Callum Turner), who died in the Korean War and has been waiting for her ever since. In addition to choosing her eternity, Joan must also pick who to share it with.     "It makes people laugh, but it's surprisingly emotional because it's a sincere film," Olsen said at the movie's London premiere on Monday. "I think it makes us all reflect differently, whether it's about people we've lost or people we hope to be reunited with, or how we even analyse our personal relationships to different types of love." Teller said: "Death is something that's inevitable and this film is a really clever way to look at it. "I certainly don't think my character thought he'd be in a competition, a love triangle, for his wife."     The "Top Gun: Maverick" and "Whiplash" star said his performance was inspired by his own grandparents, who were married for six decades. His grandfather passed away last year.     "My grandfather was a marine back in the day, but he also was very sensitive to a woman's needs. My grandma never carried her own bag, never opened her own door. He was a great role model for me," Teller said.     Directed and co-written by David Freyne, the A24 film features an endless offer of happily-ever-afters. New arrivals face an array of ads and savvy salespeople touting realms ranging from Beach World, Food World and Workout World to Man Free World and Infantilization World. There is one caveat: the one-time choice is final.  Helping the trio navigate their transitions are afterlife coordinators Anna and Ryan, played by Da'Vine Joy Randolph and John Early. "When we were making it with the cast, we really reflected on what made us happy and who is important in our lives," said Freyne. "Even though it's set in the afterlife, it's less about death and more about life to me."     "Eternity" is out in theatres from November 26. (Reporting by Hanna RantalaEditing by Bill Berkrot)

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By Rollo Ross and Danielle Broadway LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Actor Brendan Fraser had never heard of a Japanese “rental family" service before working on the comedy-drama film “Rental Family.” "I had no idea that such a place was existent. But as it goes, they've been around since the '80s," Fraser said, referring to the professional stand-in service that provides clients with actors who can portray family members or friends at weddings and other events and also offers platonic companionship.  “Rental Family,” distributed by Searchlight Pictures, arrives in theaters on November 21. “Mental health issues are stigmatized no matter where you go,” said Fraser, the American-Canadian who won the best actor Oscar for his role in the 2022 film "The Whale." However, he emphasized that mental health issues often go unaddressed in Japan, and so he thought that a rental family service serves a purpose there.  In the film, Fraser portrays an actor named Phillip Vandarploeug, the only non-Japanese person at his “rental family” workplace in Japan, who pretends to be a little girl’s real-life father to help her get into a prestigious school.  While Phillip is hired by the girl’s mother, the girl  – played by Shannon Mahina Gorman – has no idea that an actor has been hired as her temporary father.  Phillip also takes on different roles playing husbands, fathers, best friends and even a journalist for a dried-up celebrity. Fraser, who is also an executive producer of the film, speaks beginning-level Japanese in the movie. But in real life, his proficiency is not even at that level, he said. While in Japan, he said he used a translation machine and that he once told a waitress he was having his period, rather than that he wanted to order a coffee. "I made the effort," he said. Actor Mari Yamamoto, who plays a fellow agency worker named Aiko, said that when her friends and family watched the movie at the Tokyo Film Festival, they could hear only sniffling and laughter in the theater – which she took as a good sign.  "Japanese people don't scream at a Beyonce concert, so I just have to let you know it's really hard to read, so I think a little sniffling meant it was incredible. That's how I interpret it," she added. (Reporting by Danielle Broadway and Rollo Ross in Los Angeles; Editing by Matthew Lewis)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Manuel Ausloos PARIS (Reuters) -What might have been Moliere's next play if the 17th-century French playwright had not died after collapsing on stage while performing "The Imaginary Invalid"? It's a question French scholars, artists and an AI firm teamed up to answer. The result is "L'Astrologue ou les Faux Presages" (The Astrologer or the False Omens), a comedy that will debut next year in the Palace of Versailles, where Louis XIV, Moliere's patron, held court centuries ago. "What we thought was, let's try to recreate a bit of Moliere's creative process using the current state of AI," said Hugo Caselles-Dupre, a researcher in using AI for artistic creation, who was involved in the project. A FRENCH ICON Moliere holds iconic status in France, to the extent that French is sometimes referred to as "the language of Moliere". His plays, characterised by satirical wit and social commentary, are widely taught in French high schools and performed in theatres in the French-speaking world. Despite the patronage of Louis XIV, Moliere lived in hardship for many years and died of exhaustion at the age of 51, leaving his devotees to wonder who would have been his next target. According to the "Moliere Ex Machina" project backed by French artificial intelligence firm Mistral AI, he might have taken aim at astrologers. "We looked for what kind of play (Moliere) might have written. One of the subjects he addressed, but subtly woven into several of his other works, is astrology," Mickael Bouffard, an art historian and director of the play, said. The plot centres on Geronte, a gullible bourgeois who falls prey to a fraudulent astrologer scheming to marry off Geronte's daughter to a deceitful wigmaker, despite her love for another. The AI model was not left to run loose. The production was tweaked by scholars and researchers who corrected historical inaccuracies and other details. But the model offered scholars a deeper understanding of Moliere's craft, more than 350 years after his death. "I have learned things about Moliere that I had missed because they're so scattered throughout his work," Bouffard said. (Reporting by Manuel Ausloo; Writing by Inti Landauro; Editing by Ros Russell)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Rollo Ross and Danielle Broadway LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Joel Edgerton describes the American drama movie "Train Dreams" as a "Western epic sort of celebration of an ordinary life." “And I think there's something so dignified in this,” the Australian actor, who stars as an American logger named Robert Grainer, said. The film, which takes place in the 1900s and explores Robert's life, is based on a 2011 novella by Denis Johnson. Robert helps develop railroads across the United States, spending long spans of time away from his wife, Gladys Grainer, played by Felicity Jones, and their infant daughter. "Train Dreams," currently in limited theaters, will stream on Netflix on November 21. Edgerton said portraying Robert's struggles with work-life balance came surprisingly easy to him. "I know what it is to be in love. I'm in love right now. And I wrestle with how to marry work and life, and I felt like Robert was just me with an ax in his hand," the "Warrior" actor said. For director Clint Bentley, Edgerton has a special ability to convey a lot of emotion with even the smallest gestures. "The fact that he (Edgerton) can do so much with so little and that he can break your heart with just a look off in the distance or stumbling over a line. I think he's just such a powerful actor, but in such a humble way that it's really beautiful to watch," Bentley said. (Reporting by Rollo Ross and Danielle Broadway; Editing by Tom Hogue)

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