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By Mike Scarcella WASHINGTON, Dec 12 (Reuters) – A federal judge in California ruled on Friday that Live Nation and its subsidiary Ticketmaster must face a class action on behalf of millions of Americans for allegedly overcharging them for events at major concert venues across the country. U.S. District Judge George Wu in Los Angeles ruled that the plaintiffs met the criteria to expand their lawsuit into a class action seeking 15 years of alleged damages tied to the purchase of more than 400 million tickets. Live Nation had urged Wu to deny certifying the lawsuit as a class action. The company and attorneys for the plaintiffs did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The class covers consumers who bought tickets directly from Ticketmaster or a Live Nation affiliate for events at major venues since 2010. Beverly Hills, California-based Live Nation was accused in the 2022 lawsuit of monopolizing ticketing services, allowing the company to charge artificially high prices in violation of antitrust law. Live Nation and Ticketmaster have denied any wrongdoing. In their opposition to class certification, Live Nation and Ticketmaster told Wu that individualized issues involving tickets sold for 1,000 venues made it impossible to hold a single trial on the plaintiffs’ allegations. Live Nation said the venues, not Ticketmaster, set fees paid by fans, often on a show-by-show basis. The U.S. Supreme Court in October declined to hear a bid by Live Nation and Ticketmaster to move the lawsuit out of federal court and into private arbitration. Live Nation faces other antitrust lawsuits over its ticketing practices, including an antitrust action filed in federal court in Manhattan by the U.S. Justice Department and a group of states. The company has denied any wrongdoing in that case. (Reporting by Mike Scarcella; Editing by David Bario and Matthew Lewis)

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Dec 12 (Reuters) – Walt Disney Animation Studios' "Zootopia 2" is on track to surpass $1 billion at the global box office, the company said on Friday, as the sequel continues its strong run in international markets. The film, which revisits the bustling animal metropolis of "Zootopia," features returning characters Judy Hopps, a rabbit police officer voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin, and her fox partner Nick Wilde, voiced by Jason Bateman. The duo embarks on a new adventure that blends humor and social themes, echoing the formula that made the original a hit. "Zootopia 2" opened strongly over the U.S. Thanksgiving weekend, giving Hollywood a boost at the start of the critical holiday season. The film's runaway success has been fueled by an extraordinary reception in China, where "Zootopia 2" dominated the box office during its opening weekend, accounting for roughly 95% of all ticket sales nationwide. The original "Zootopia" also became China's most popular foreign animated film when it was released in 2016. The performance offers welcome relief for theater operators hoping for packed cinemas through Christmas, traditionally the second-busiest moviegoing period of the year. Global box office receipts have yet to return to the pre-pandemic levels seen in 2019. (Reporting by Kritika Lamba in Bengaluru; Editing by Alan Barona)

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By Jody Godoy NEW YORK, Dec 12 (Reuters) – Netflix says it must acquire Warner Bros Discovery to compete with YouTube, but antitrust experts doubt regulators will buy that argument.    The streaming giant’s $72 billion takeover of Warner Bros Discovery’s studios and HBO Max will face scrutiny from U.S. and global regulators, given its scale and the combined 428 million subscribers.    Netflix insists the deal is needed to challenge Alphabet’s YouTube, which media analysis firm Nielsen ranks as America’s most-watched TV distributor. But attorneys say the Justice Department is unlikely to see Netflix and YouTube as interchangeable rivals, given their different content, audiences and business models. “Netflix is trying to say it competes with YouTube because people only watch a certain amount of content a day,” said Abiel Garcia, antitrust partner at Kesselman Brantly Stockinger. “That argument ultimately fails.” Netflix spends billions of dollars on scripted original movies and series like "Stranger Things" and "KPop Demon Hunters". It frequently dominates Nielsen's ranking of most-streamed original series, accounting for eight of the top 10 originals in a recent ranking. Subscribers pay $7.99–$24.99 monthly, while ads remain a small but growing revenue stream.    YouTube, by contrast, thrives on user-generated content and advertising built on music videos, how-to tutorials and influencers. It commands more viewing time than Netflix or traditional TV, powered by creators like MrBeast, with more than 450 million subscribers, top recording artists and children’s hits like Cocomelon.  In October, YouTube held 12.9% of streaming viewership, compared with Netflix’s projected 9% share once combined with HBO Max post-merger. REGULATORS WILL KNOW THE DIFFERENCE The DOJ is not likely to view those videos as a substitute for Netflix shows and movies, experts said.  "Netflix is going to have a difficult time making arguments that YouTube is substitutable for the kind of content that's on HBO Max and Netflix," said Robin Crauthers, a partner at McCarter & English and former DOJ antitrust attorney. While companies often seek to defend their mergers by pointing to competition from a broad universe of established and emerging players, antitrust enforcers are experienced in finding the ways that mergers quash competition in distinct sub-markets. For example, the Federal Trade Commission convinced a court that Whole Foods Market's acquisition of rival Wild Oats Markets reduced competition among "premium natural and organic supermarkets," despite Whole Foods' argument that it competes with conventional grocery chains. The FTC also successfully challenged the merger between U.S. handbag and accessories maker Tapestry and rival Capri as decreasing competition in the "accessible luxury" market.  The judge who blocked the Tapestry deal relied on documents showing the companies themselves thought of accessible or affordable luxury as a valid category, contradicting their argument at trial that affordable luxury was not a well-defined part of the industry. NETFLIX FACES DOCUMENT SCRUTINY Because of recent reforms to the merger clearance process, Netflix will have to hand over more of its internal competition analyses sooner, said former FTC antitrust attorney Shaoul Sussman. "That will definitely give the government a leg up in the investigation," said Sussman, of the law firm Simonsen Sussman. If Netflix's documents do not cite YouTube as a major competitor, or if they focus on categories that exclude YouTube, such as paid subscriptions, that will undermine the company's argument, attorneys said. Netflix has also pitched the deal as bringing down prices for the vast majority of HBO Max subscribers, who are already Netflix customers, by allowing the company to bundle the two products, Reuters reported last week. But the DOJ is very skeptical of claims that mergers bring cost savings that will find their way back to consumers, Crauthers said, and will also consider whether the deal would allow Netflix to raise prices on subscribers who do not take both services. (Reporting by Jody Godoy in New York and Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles; Editing by Chris Sanders and Nia Williams)

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By Jody Godoy NEW YORK, Dec 12 (Reuters) – Netflix says it must acquire Warner Bros Discovery to compete with YouTube, but antitrust experts doubt regulators will buy that argument. The streaming giant’s $72 billion takeover of Warner Bros Discovery’s studios and HBO Max will face scrutiny from U.S. and global regulators, given its scale and the combined 428 million subscribers. Netflix insists the deal is needed to challenge Alphabet’s YouTube, which media analysis firm Nielsen ranks as America’s most-watched TV distributor. But attorneys say the Justice Department is unlikely to see Netflix and YouTube as interchangeable rivals, given their different content, audiences and business models. “Netflix is trying to say it competes with YouTube because people only watch a certain amount of content a day,” said Abiel Garcia, antitrust partner at Kesselman Brantly Stockinger. “That argument ultimately fails.” Netflix spends billions of dollars on scripted original movies and series like "Stranger Things" and "KPop Demon Hunters". It frequently dominates Nielsen's ranking of most-streamed original series, accounting for eight of the top 10 originals in a recent ranking. Subscribers pay $7.99–$24.99 monthly, while ads remain a small but growing revenue stream. YouTube, by contrast, thrives on user-generated content and advertising built on music videos, how-to tutorials and influencers. It commands more viewing time than Netflix or traditional TV, powered by creators like MrBeast, with more than 450 million subscribers, top recording artists and children’s hits like Cocomelon.  In October, YouTube held 12.9% of streaming viewership, compared with Netflix’s projected 9% share once combined with HBO Max post-merger. REGULATORS WILL KNOW THE DIFFERENCE The DOJ is not likely to view those videos as a substitute for Netflix shows and movies, experts said.  "Netflix is going to have a difficult time making arguments that YouTube is substitutable for the kind of content that's on HBO Max and Netflix," said Robin Crauthers, a partner at McCarter & English and former DOJ antitrust attorney. While companies often seek to defend their mergers by pointing to competition from a broad universe of established and emerging players, antitrust enforcers are experienced in finding the ways that mergers quash competition in distinct sub-markets. For example, the Federal Trade Commission convinced a court that Whole Foods Market's acquisition of rival Wild Oats Markets reduced competition among "premium natural and organic supermarkets," despite Whole Foods' argument that it competes with conventional grocery chains. The FTC also successfully challenged the merger between U.S. handbag and accessories maker Tapestry and rival Capri as decreasing competition in the "accessible luxury" market.  The judge who blocked the Tapestry deal relied on documents showing the companies themselves thought of accessible or affordable luxury as a valid category, contradicting their argument at trial that affordable luxury was not a well-defined part of the industry. NETFLIX FACES DOCUMENT SCRUTINY Because of recent reforms to the merger clearance process, Netflix will have to hand over more of its internal competition analyses sooner, said former FTC antitrust attorney Shaoul Sussman. "That will definitely give the government a leg up in the investigation," said Sussman, of the law firm Simonsen Sussman. If Netflix's documents do not cite YouTube as a major competitor, or if they focus on categories that exclude YouTube, such as paid subscriptions, that will undermine the company's argument, attorneys said. Netflix has also pitched the deal as bringing down prices for the vast majority of HBO Max subscribers, who are already Netflix customers, by allowing the company to bundle the two products, Reuters reported last week. But the DOJ is very skeptical of claims that mergers bring cost savings that will find their way back to consumers, Crauthers said, and will also consider whether the deal would allow Netflix to raise prices on subscribers who do not take both services. (Reporting by Jody Godoy in New York and Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles; Editing by Chris Sanders and Nia 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 Jody Godoy NEW YORK, Dec 12 (Reuters) – Netflix says it must acquire Warner Bros Discovery to compete with YouTube, but antitrust experts doubt regulators will buy that argument.    The streaming giant’s $72 billion takeover of Warner Bros Discovery’s studios and HBO Max will face scrutiny from U.S. and global regulators, given its scale and the combined 428 million subscribers.    Netflix insists the deal is needed to challenge Alphabet’s YouTube, which media analysis firm Nielsen ranks as America’s most-watched TV distributor. But attorneys say the Justice Department is unlikely to see Netflix and YouTube as interchangeable rivals, given their different content, audiences and business models. “Netflix is trying to say it competes with YouTube because people only watch a certain amount of content a day,” said Abiel Garcia, antitrust partner at Kesselman Brantly Stockinger. “That argument ultimately fails.” Netflix spends billions of dollars on scripted original movies and series like "Stranger Things" and "KPop Demon Hunters". It frequently dominates Nielsen's ranking of most-streamed original series, accounting for eight of the top 10 originals in a recent ranking. Subscribers pay $7.99–$24.99 monthly, while ads remain a small but growing revenue stream.    YouTube, by contrast, thrives on user-generated content and advertising built on music videos, how-to tutorials and influencers. It commands more viewing time than Netflix or traditional TV, powered by creators like MrBeast, with more than 450 million subscribers, top recording artists and children’s hits like Cocomelon.  In October, YouTube held 12.9% of streaming viewership, compared with Netflix’s projected 9% share once combined with HBO Max post-merger. REGULATORS WILL KNOW THE DIFFERENCE The DOJ is not likely to view those videos as a substitute for Netflix shows and movies, experts said.  "Netflix is going to have a difficult time making arguments that YouTube is substitutable for the kind of content that's on HBO Max and Netflix," said Robin Crauthers, a partner at McCarter & English and former DOJ antitrust attorney. While companies often seek to defend their mergers by pointing to competition from a broad universe of established and emerging players, antitrust enforcers are experienced in finding the ways that mergers quash competition in distinct sub-markets. For example, the Federal Trade Commission convinced a court that Whole Foods Market's acquisition of rival Wild Oats Markets reduced competition among "premium natural and organic supermarkets," despite Whole Foods' argument that it competes with conventional grocery chains. The FTC also successfully challenged the merger between U.S. handbag and accessories maker Tapestry and rival Capri as decreasing competition in the "accessible luxury" market.  The judge who blocked the Tapestry deal relied on documents showing the companies themselves thought of accessible or affordable luxury as a valid category, contradicting their argument at trial that affordable luxury was not a well-defined part of the industry. NETFLIX FACES DOCUMENT SCRUTINY Because of recent reforms to the merger clearance process, Netflix will have to hand over more of its internal competition analyses sooner, said former FTC antitrust attorney Shaoul Sussman. "That will definitely give the government a leg up in the investigation," said Sussman, of the law firm Simonsen Sussman. If Netflix's documents do not cite YouTube as a major competitor, or if they focus on categories that exclude YouTube, such as paid subscriptions, that will undermine the company's argument, attorneys said. Netflix has also pitched the deal as bringing down prices for the vast majority of HBO Max subscribers, who are already Netflix customers, by allowing the company to bundle the two products, Reuters reported last week. But the DOJ is very skeptical of claims that mergers bring cost savings that will find their way back to consumers, Crauthers said, and will also consider whether the deal would allow Netflix to raise prices on subscribers who do not take both services. (Reporting by Jody Godoy in New York and Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles; Editing by Chris Sanders and Nia 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.)

BRUSSELS, Dec 12 (Reuters) – Universal Music said on Friday it has submitted a remedy to address competition concerns from the European Commission over the group's $775-million takeover of Downtown Music. "Following constructive conversations with the European Commission, we have submitted a robust remedy that comprehensively addresses the Commission's only remaining concern," the company said in a statement. "This deal is about offering independent music entrepreneurs access to world-class tools and support to help them succeed. We are confident that the Commission will recognize the benefits .. and clear the transaction swiftly." (Reporting by Yun Chee Foo, writing by Louise Breusch Rasmussen, editing by Bart Meijer)

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BRUSSELS, Dec 12 (Reuters) – Universal Music said on Friday it has submitted a remedy to address competition concerns from the European Commission over the group's $775-million takeover of Downtown Music. The Commission last month objected to the deal, saying it was concerned UMG could gain access to commercially sensitive data that is stored and processed by Downtown, which could limit competition from other labels. UMG said in a statement on Friday it had submitted the remedy following constructive conversations with the Commission. "We have submitted a robust remedy that comprehensively addresses the Commission's only remaining concern," it said in a statement. "This deal is about offering independent music entrepreneurs access to world-class tools and support to help them succeed. We are confident that the Commission will recognize the benefits .. and clear the transaction swiftly." Independent labels have criticised the acquisition and even called for it to be blocked. (Reporting by Yun Chee Foo, writing by Louise Breusch Rasmussen, editing by Bart Meijer)

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

BRUSSELS, Dec 12 (Reuters) – Universal Music said on Friday it has submitted a remedy to address competition concerns from the European Commission over the group's $775-million takeover of Downtown Music. "Following constructive conversations with the European Commission, we have submitted a robust remedy that comprehensively addresses the Commission's only remaining concern," the company said in a statement. "This deal is about offering independent music entrepreneurs access to world-class tools and support to help them succeed. We are confident that the Commission will recognize the benefits .. and clear the transaction swiftly." (Reporting by Yun Chee Foo, writing by Louise Breusch Rasmussen, editing by Bart Meijer)

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By Dawn Chmielewski and Deborah Mary Sophia Dec 11 (Reuters) – Walt Disney is investing $1 billion in OpenAI and will let the startup use characters from Star Wars, Pixar and Marvel franchises in its Sora AI video generator, a deal that could reshape how Hollywood makes content. The three-year partnership announced on Thursday is a pivotal step in Hollywood's embrace of generative artificial intelligence, sidestepping the industry's concerns about the impact of AI on creative jobs and intellectual property rights. As part of the licensing deal, Sora and ChatGPT Images will start generating videos using licensed Disney characters such as Mickey Mouse, Cinderella and Mufasa, starting early next year. The agreement excludes any talent likenesses or voices. "Through this collaboration with OpenAI we will thoughtfully and responsibly extend the reach of our storytelling through generative AI, while respecting and protecting creators and their works," Disney CEO Bob Iger said. Hollywood's unions, which are monitoring the expanding use of generative AI, reacted cautiously to the deal. TALKS BEGAN LONG AGO Iger and OpenAI's Sam Altman began talking years ago, as they discussed ways to showcase the potential of generative AI, when combined with Disney's characters and stories, according to one person familiar with the talks.   Before the launch, OpenAI offered the studio early looks at its image-generation tool Sora, according to the source who requested anonymity to discuss the negotiations, adding that Disney found OpenAI willing to engage constructively in this dialogue. Iger previewed part of the strategy during an investor call in November, saying AI would allow the company to provide Disney+ users with tools to create and consume user-generated content, mainly in short form. As part of the agreement with OpenAI, a selection of the videos by users will be made available for streaming on Disney+, allowing the streaming platform to capitalize on the growing appeal for short-form video content.  The media conglomerate will also receive warrants to purchase additional equity in the ChatGPT maker.  The companies will use OpenAI's models to build new products and customer experiences, including for Disney+ subscribers, while Disney will deploy ChatGPT for its employees.  The deal also includes guardrails to protect against the characters being depicted in inappropriate situations. Disney also plans to use OpenAI's tools for its internal purposes to support film production as it looks to gain efficiency, the source said. The partnership comes months after Creative Artists Agency, Hollywood's premier talent agency, criticized OpenAI for exposing artists to "significant risk" through Sora and questioned if creative professionals would be compensated for their work. ANIMATORS TO RAISE COMPENSATION CONCERN Danny Lin, president of the Animation Guild, said compensation for artists was a concern the union would raise. While animators do not own the rights to Disney characters, "we're certainly the reason they exist and the reason that they have such earning potential," Lin said. The Writers Guild of America said it would meet with Disney to find out how much of its members' labor would be used in user-generated videos. "Disney’s announcement with OpenAI appears to sanction its theft of our work and cedes the value of what we create to a tech company that has built its business off our backs," WGA leaders said in a note to members. SAG-AFTRA, which represents actors and other entertainment workers, said Disney and OpenAI contacted the union to offer assurances the deal would ensure the ethical and responsible use of the technology.  "The ongoing dialogue reflects a significant commitment to taking SAG-AFTRA members' concerns into account in the protective measures applied to image, likeness, voice, performance, and intellectual property rights generally," the union said in a statement. Emarketer analyst Ross Benes, however, said unions' power was limited and "they will unlikely be able to stem the momentum of AI-produced media." CNBC reported earlier in the day that Disney sent a cease and desist letter to Google alleging the company infringed its copyrights. Disney and Comcast's Universal in June filed a copyright lawsuit against AI photo generation firm Midjourney for its use of the studios' best-known characters. (Reporting by Dawn Chmielewski in San Francisco, Lisa Richwine in Los Angeles, and Deborah Sophia, Harshita Mary Varghese and Anhata Rooprai in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur, Rod Nickel)

(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 Dawn Chmielewski and Deborah Mary Sophia Dec 11 (Reuters) – Walt Disney is investing $1 billion in OpenAI and will let the startup use characters from Star Wars, Pixar and Marvel franchises in its Sora AI video generator, a crucial deal that could reshape how Hollywood makes content. The three-year partnership announced on Thursday is a pivotal step in Hollywood's embrace of generative artificial intelligence, side-stepping the industry's concerns over the impact of AI on creative jobs and intellectual property rights. As part of the licensing deal, Sora and ChatGPT Images will start generating videos using licensed Disney characters such as Mickey Mouse, Cinderella and Mufasa, from early next year. The agreement excludes any talent likenesses or voices. "Through this collaboration with OpenAI we will thoughtfully and responsibly extend the reach of our storytelling through generative AI, while respecting and protecting creators and their works," Disney CEO Bob Iger said. TALKS BEGAN LONG AGO Iger and OpenAI's Sam Altman began talking years ago, as they explored a way to do more to showcase the potential of generative AI, when combined with Disney's characters and stories, according to one person familiar with the talks. Prior to the launch, OpenAI offered the studio early looks at its image-generation tool Sora, the source who requested anonymity to discuss the negotiations said, adding that Disney found OpenAI willing to engage constructively in this dialogue. Iger previewed part of the strategy during an investor call in November, saying AI would allow the company to provide Disney+ users with tools to create and consume user-generated content, mainly in short form. As part of the agreement with OpenAI, a selection of the videos by users will be made available for streaming on Disney+, allowing the streaming platform to capitalize on the growing appeal for short-form video content. The media conglomerate will also receive warrants to purchase additional equity in the ChatGPT maker. The companies will use OpenAI's models to build new products and customer experiences, including for Disney+ subscribers, while Disney will deploy ChatGPT for its employees. The deal also includes guiderails to protect against the characters being depicted in inappropriate situations and Disney also plans to use OpenAIs tools for its internal purposes to support film production as it looks to gain efficiency, the source said. The partnership comes months after Creative Artists Agency, Hollywood's premier talent agency, criticized OpenAI for exposing artists to "significant risk" through Sora and questioned if creative professionals would be compensated for their work. "An entertainment giant partnering with an AI company will inevitably invite backlash from labor groups in the entertainment industry," Emarketer analyst Ross Benes said. "But unions' power is limited and they will unlikely be able to stem the momentum of AI-produced media." CNBC reported earlier in the day that Disney sent a cease and desist letter to Google alleging the company infringed its copyrights. Disney and Comcast's Universal had in June filed a copyright lawsuit against AI photo generation firm Midjourney for its use of the studios' best-known characters. (Reporting by Dawn Chmielewski in San Francisco and Deborah Sophia and Harshita Mary Varghese in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur)

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