A wave of comedians’ copyright cases with the potential to seriously boost streaming royalties gained more clout Tuesday when George Lopez added his name to the list of comics seeking compensation from Pandora, TheWrap has exclusively learned.
Lopez joins a growing host of comedians including Lewis Black and Andrew “Dice” Clay — as well as the estates of George Carlin and Robin Williams — whose consolidated copyright cases are poised to change the way they’re paid by streaming platforms. Multiple legal experts have previously told TheWrap that if successful, the situation could play out like “The Napster of comedy.”
And it’s no longer a distant notion: Preliminary hearings in the consolidated cases are set to begin in U.S.