Twists and turns in the 360 deal: Spinning the risks and rewards of artist–label relations in the streaming era

This article studies the contracts of labels and artists in the 2000s and 2010s in order to understand the conditions for creative work in a predominantly digital environment. It argues that contract negotiation is a key site for the exchange of creative and economic resources which is likely to reflect developments in the technological but also legal frameworks of the music industry. It presents analyses of contract documents from before and after the rise of streaming services, capturing the turn away from the album and towards the smaller project of the single, which, among other things, entails higher royalty rates for the artists but also increases their responsibilities for financing production. The article goes on to discuss the extent to which such shifts in the investments and returns of both creator and company should be accompanied by changes in the legal protections of creative work.

LICENSING BY OUTSIDE INNOVATOR IN HOTELLING MODEL REVISITED

This paper extends Banerjee and Poddar [Banerjee, S and S Poddar (2019). ‘To sell or not to sell’: Licensing versus selling by an outside innovator. Economic Modelling, 76, 293–304] by lifting the cap on per unit royalty rates in the cases of royalty licensing and two-part tariff licensing. We reconsider the optimal technology licensing contract by an outside innovator facing two heterogeneous licensees in a standard Hotelling framework. Our findings show that the optimal licensing policy could be fixed fee to the efficient firm, or two-part tariff to both firms (pure royalty to both firms), or two-part tariff to the efficient firm, depending upon the cost differentials between the firms and the size of innovation.

Effects of economic deterrence variables and royalty rates on petroleum profit tax compliance in Nigeria: an empirical analysis

Purpose The oil and gas sector are among the nonrenewable energy sectors that contribute immensely to the economic development of more than 98 countries around the globe. Nigeria depends largely on revenue from oil and gas. Unfortunately, oil and gas companies mostly evade taxes. This study aims to investigate the effects of variables subsumed in the economic deterrence theory of Allingham and Sandmo (1972), which comprise (tax rate, penalty and detection probability) with one additional variable royalty rates (RR) on petroleum profit tax compliance (PPTC). Design/methodology/approach The study used a survey to collect data from 300 local and multi-national oil and gas companies in Nigeria. SPSS version 25 and partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) version 3.8 were used to analyze the data. Findings The results reveal that there is a negatively significant relationship between tax rate and RR and PPTC. The findings also show a positive and significant relationship between penalty and detection probability and PPTC. Originality/value The implication of the current study is that the current tax rate and RR are determinants of PPTC in Nigeria. Policymakers, in collaboration with the tax authority, should revisit these variables to enhance the level of PPTC, which could lead to an overall improvement in the country’s tax revenue.

Validating oil and gas royalty rate measurement scale: evidence from Nigeria

Purpose This study aims to validate the royalty rate measurement scale by using rigorous scale validation procedures. Design/methodology/approach Evaluation of reliability and validity of the measures of royalty rate was performed through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using SPSS version 25 and PLS-SEM version 3.8. Findings The results provide evidence that the royalty rate measurement scale has achieved reliability and validity criteria. Research limitations/implications Consequently, policymakers, practitioners and researchers can adopt this scale to assess the royalty rate in other energy sectors where royalty arrangements exist in different jurisdictions across the globe. Practical implications The practical contributions of the study are threefold. First, the validated scale presented in Table IV can serve as a checklist for oil and gas producing countries while assessing the stringiness or otherwise of their royalty rates. Second, the validated scale can be used to assess the perception of oil and gas companies with regards to the royalty rate as whether the rate is too high and worrisome or is acceptable. Finally, it could also be used to assess the role of regulatory bodies in assessing royalty rates while dealing with multinational and local oil companies. Eventually, the scale can assist policymakers across the globe to adapt in investment decision-making, particularly regarding royalty arrangement. Originality/value This study undoubtedly builds the existing literature and contributes to the subject area; by implication, the validated scale will assist host oil and gas countries with stringent royalty rate to revise the royalty policy in such a way to ensure neutrality, thereby not chasing away the current investors or discouraging prospective ones from investing in their oil and gas industry.

Effect of Tax Rates, Penalty Rate, Detection Probability, Cost of Compliance, Royalty Rates, Environmental Regulations, and Petroleum Profit Tax Compliance the Moderating Role of Trust in Government: A Conceptual Framework

The paper presents a theoretical framework on the moderating effect of trust in authority on the relationship between tax rates, penalty, detection probability, cost of compliance, royalty rates, environmental regulations, and petroleum profit tax compliance. The objective of the proposed framework is to expand the Allingham and Sandmo (1972) model of tax compliance by adding two more predictor variables relevant to the oil and gas industry (royalty rates and environmental regulations), and moderating variable (trust) to better explain the relationship. Allingham and Sandmo (1972) model received a lot of criticisms for not considering other non-human factors that can help in determining taxpayers’ compliance behavior, hence the expansion of the model to include new variables, purely non-human factors which are relevant to the industry in question. A thorough search of the following databases: Scopus database, Web of Science, Emerald, Google Scholar, among others was conducted to come up with the relevant and related literature on the subject matter. Providing empirical evidence through validation of this framework would have important implications for policymakers in host oil and gas producing countries, oil and gas operators, the deterrence theory as well as future research.

Lost Profits in Intellectual Property Cases

Much has been written about various remedies in litigation involving intellectual property (“IP”) infringements, some economic and other non-economic. A common remedy across different types of IP is lost profits. This paper explores similarities and differences among different types of IP infringement: patent, copyright, trademark, and trade secrets. Common elements needed in any lost profits claim, especially causality, are presented and along with damages implications for plaintiff and infringer by type of IP. These are a few of issues considered along with brief discussion of key statutes, cases, and the alternative of damages based on reasonable royalty rates.