Robin Williams’ estate sues Pandora over comedy licenses
Photo by Dave Hogan/Getty Images The estates of Robin Williams and George Carlin have filed lawsuits accusing Pandora of streaming the late comedians' jokes without the proper licenses. The suits are joined by complaints from Andrew Dice Clay, Ron White, and Bill Engvall, who also allege they weren't given a fraction of a penny" for their work as a result of Pandora's willful" wrongdoing.
As explained by Puck, comedians are fighting for recognition of two copyrights on a comedic work: one for writing a joke and another for recording it. Companies have traditionally only purchased licenses for the recordings, not the jokes themselves. Puck points out that the argument streamers need both has never really been tested in court, so it's not entirely clear if Pandora is in...