Six Degrees - Research, Rights and Clearances

05/27/2026

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗔𝗜 𝗶𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 🌟

The rights and clearances industry is far from cut-and-dry. Every project we take on needs diligent research, sourcing, and licensing to ensure our clients’ content is cleared with confidence. ✅

But as the digital world sprints ahead, high-volume, short-timeline projects are becoming the new norm. This creates a fresh challenge for traditional clearing processes.⚡️

During a recent project, the 𝗦𝗶𝘅 𝗗𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘀 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 faced exactly this, but found an innovative solution: using AI to expedite the evaluation process. 🚀

𝗔𝗜 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀:

1️⃣ Organize Performance Data
2️⃣ Review Lyrics
3️⃣ Translate Cultural Context
4️⃣ Assess Social Trends
5️⃣ Summarize Recommendations

𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀, 𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗷𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗔𝗜 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝘄𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀. 🤝

This AI-assisted workflow isn’t about removing people from the process, but giving our team the resources they need to cull through large volumes of content while maintaining the reliability and expertise that makes Six Degrees’ work so irreplaceable. 🏆

AI is everywhere in media, but in rights and clearances, trust still depends on verification, authenticity, and human judgment.

05/20/2026

𝟮𝟬 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝟮-𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲?! 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗞𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗸 𝗦𝗮𝗴𝗮 𝗶𝘀 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿 🎹 🎸 ⚖️

If you work in rights and clearance, you know the "Metall auf Metall" case has been the ultimate "it’s complicated" relationship of the music world. After nearly 30 years of legal back-and-forth, we finally have a finish line.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗟;𝗗𝗥: Kraftwerk sued Moses Pelham for using a tiny 2-second drum loop without permission back in the 90s. Today, the court basically said: "It’s a Pastiche. It’s allowed."

Here’s why this is a massive deal for creators and clearance teams:

🔥 𝗧𝗵𝗲 "𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗲" 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿-𝗨𝗽: The court ruled that sampling can be legal without a license if it’s considered a "pastiche"—essentially an artistic tribute or a "nod" to the original that creates a new creative dialogue.
🔥 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗶𝘅 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲: This opens the door for mashups, memes, and transformative tracks that were previously stuck in a legal gray area.
🔥 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀: It’s no longer just about how many seconds you sampled; it’s about how you used it and if the new work is "noticeably different."

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆: While we still shouldn't go around grabbing every loop we see, the definition of "fair use" (in EU terms) just got a whole lot friendlier for artists.

The European Court of Justice has ruled against Kraftwerk in a two-decade-long copyright dispute over the unauthorized use of one of their songs.

05/13/2026

𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗖𝗼𝗽𝘆𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗮 𝗣𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗽? 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿 "𝗔𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗟𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰" 💎 🖇️

The ongoing legal clash between Pandora and Foundrae is a must-watch case for anyone in the creative industry. It tackles one of the most difficult questions in rights and clearance: Where does a "basic shape" end and "original expression" begin?

Foundrae is accusing Pandora of infringing on its signature "oversized" and "elongated" link designs. Pandora’s defense? These are functional, common geometric shapes—like paperclips—that belong in the public domain.

From a rights and clearance perspective, this case highlights three critical risks:

1️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 "𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁" 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗽: You don’t need to invent a new shape to claim copyright. The way you combine common elements (like specific weights, angles, and textures) can be protected. This is "Aesthetic Logic," and it’s a minefield for designers.

2️⃣ 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘃𝘀. 𝗔𝗿𝘁: Copyright doesn't protect functional items. Pandora is betting on the idea that a jewelry link is a functional "utility" item. Foundrae argues it’s a sculptural work of art. The court's decision will redefine the boundaries for the entire fashion and jewelry sector.

3️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 "𝗖𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗙𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱" 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲: In industries like jewelry, where "paperclip" chains have existed for decades, proving your version is "original enough" is an uphill battle. It underscores why a deep Prior Art Search is essential before launching a new line.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆: If your brand is "inspired" by a trending aesthetic, you need to know if you're adopting a public domain staple or a protected arrangement of elements.

Pandora does not merely argue that its designs differ from the Foundrae ones, it argues that there is no copyright protection at play

05/06/2026

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 "𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗨𝘀𝗲" 𝗛𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗟𝗮𝘄 🛑 ⚖️

The legal battle between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Mormon Stories podcast is a masterclass in the complexities of Trade Dress—and a wake-up call for independent creators everywhere.

While the public debate centers on the name "Mormon," the legal reality is much more technical. This isn't just about a word; it’s about the "Look and Feel."

From a rights and clearance perspective, here is why this case matters:

* 𝗧𝗵𝗲 "𝗩𝗶𝗯𝗲" 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗕𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: The Church isn't just suing over a logo; they are citing specific blue color palettes, serif fonts, and "radiating light" motifs. In trademark law, if your design creates a "likelihood of confusion" for the consumer, you’re in the danger zone.

* 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗲𝗻’𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱𝘀: The dispute highlights a failed mediation over the prominence of a non-affiliation disclaimer. For creators, a tiny "not affiliated with..." in the footer is rarely enough to offset branding that mimics the original source.

* 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘃𝘀. 𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗽: You might have the right to discuss a topic (First Amendment), but that doesn’t give you the right to package that discussion in the IP of the entity you’re discussing.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆: Whether you’re a podcaster or a global brand, your visual identity needs to be as original as your content. If your "inspiration" looks like a "copy" to a consumer, you’re inviting a federal lawsuit.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints filed a lawsuit against the "Mormon Stories" podcast over alleged trademark and copyright infringement.The lawsu

04/29/2026

𝗪𝗵𝘆 "𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻" 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗗𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗙𝗖 𝗞𝗶𝘁 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗲 ⚽️ 🎨

The recent news involving Sunderland AFC and artist Casertano is a textbook example of why rights and clearance must be at the heart of every creative project—not an afterthought.

For those following the story, the club’s "Hummel" third kit was designed to celebrate Sunderland’s shipbuilding heritage. However, an artist is now threatening legal action, alleging the design is a direct lift of his copyrighted work.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀:
Even when a project is rooted in public history or local culture, the expression of those ideas is protected. This dispute highlights three critical pillars of brand safety:

1️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗚𝗮𝗽: Just because a third-party agency creates the work doesn’t mean the brand is insulated from risk. Indemnification helps, but it doesn't stop a PR crisis or a kit being pulled from shelves.

2️⃣ "𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗕𝘆" 𝘃𝘀. 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: There is a thin legal line between paying homage to heritage and infringing on a contemporary artist’s interpretation of that heritage.

3️⃣ 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲: Identifying potential IP overlaps before production is significantly cheaper than litigating them after the global launch.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆: Don't let a celebration of history become a legal liability.

Andrew Small claims the football club infringed the copyright on his 2008 sculpture.

04/22/2026

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗮 "𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗿" 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲 ⚖️ 🎬

A Tokyo court just handed down a prison sentence for "spoiler articles" — a massive wake-up call for the Rights & Clearances community.

The defendant wasn’t just chatting about movies; he was publishing beat-by-beat, verbatim plot summaries of hits like 𝘎𝘰𝘥𝘻𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘢 𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘴 𝘖𝘯𝘦. The court’s ruling? This was an unauthorized adaptation, not a fair quotation.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗜𝗣 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀:

• 𝗧𝗵𝗲 "𝗦𝘂𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻" 𝗥𝘂𝗹𝗲: Because the summaries were so detailed that readers felt they didn’t need to see the film, they were ruled a market substitute.

• 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁: The site generated over $240k in ad revenue, stripping away "fair use" defenses.

• 𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: This confirms that detailed text-based recaps can infringe on a rightsholder’s exclusive right to adapt their work.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗲: If your summary captures the "essential characteristics" of a work to the point of replacing the original, you’re in the danger zone. ⛔️

The defendant was sentenced and fined for posting movie and anime spoilers.

04/15/2026

𝗔 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 & 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻? 🔄

The success of AI singer Eddie Dalton (11 tracks in the iTunes Top 100!) is more than a viral moment—it’s a shift in how we’ll handle music clearances in 2026 and beyond.

As rights professionals, we’re moving from a binary world (Human vs. Not Human) to a Hybrid World.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁:

* 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲: Is the track 100% AI or "AI-assisted"? (This changes the copyrightability).
* 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲: What model was used? Was it trained on "clean" (licensed) data or a "black box" dataset?
* 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: Ensuring the human prompter has exercised enough "creative control" to claim authorship.

The "Wild West" era of AI music is ending. The next phase? A standardized, transparent licensing framework where AI and human creators can coexist legally.

Eddie Dalton is taking iTunes by storm, with the creator denying he is misleading listeners.

04/10/2026

𝗜𝘀 𝗡𝗔𝗦𝗔 𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 "𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗗𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻"? 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗶𝘀: 𝗬𝗲𝘀, 𝗯𝘂𝘁... 🚀

Most creators know that NASA content is generally not subject to copyright in the U.S. However, using that stunning shot of the James Webb Telescope or an astronaut on the moon in your next ad campaign isn't as simple as "right-click, save."

If you’re using NASA media commercially, here are three hurdles you might not have considered:

1. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 "𝗘𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁" 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗽: NASA is a federal agency. Your use of their imagery cannot—in any way—imply that NASA endorses your product. This affects everything from your copy to where you place your logo.��

2. 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: Just because a photo is public domain doesn't mean the people in it have waived their rights. Identifiable astronauts and employees have privacy and publicity rights that must be cleared separately.��

3. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝗴𝗼 "𝗡𝗼-𝗚𝗼": The NASA "Meatball" and "Worm" logos are protected. Using them on merchandise or in advertising requires a specific approval process that is entirely separate from the imagery itself.��

At Six Degrees, we specialize in navigating these cosmic complexities so your creative team can shoot for the stars without the legal heat.

Need help clearing space-age content? Let’s talk. 🛰️

For more info on Six Degrees, see link in comments 👇

04/08/2026

𝗜𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘁? 𝗜𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 "𝗬𝗘𝗦" 🎯👤

It looks like Luke Littler is taking "owning your look" to a whole new level in 2026. The darts champ just applied to trademark his own face to shut down all the AI-generated fakes and bootleg gear popping up online. Since he’s become a massive brand selling everything from dartboards to snacks, he’s basically building a legal "firewall" around his likeness. It’s a total pro move that shows how athletes today have to be just as fast with their IP lawyers as they are with their throw. In a world of deepfakes, if you don't legally own your face, someone else will probably try to monetize it!

World darts champions has made an application with the Intellectual Property Office to trademark his face

04/01/2026

𝗧𝗵𝗲 "𝗤𝘂𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗥𝗼𝗰𝗸 '𝗻' 𝗥𝗼𝗹𝗹" 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲 🎵 🎤✨👤

It looks like Tina Turner’s legacy is officially going high-tech. Pophouse Entertainment—the same group behind the massive ABBA digital avatar show—just bought the rights to her music catalog along with her name, image, and likeness. This isn't just about playing her hits on the radio; it means they can now use AI and VR to keep her "performing" and appearing in new projects long into the future. Following the news about Val Kilmer’s AI film, it’s becoming clear that "retirement" doesn't really exist for icons anymore. It’s a wild blend of cutting-edge tech and estate management that’s basically turning legendary artists into permanent digital brands.

Turner, known as the “Queen of Rock ’n’ Roll,” died in 2023 at 83.