A Copyright Tangle Almost Overshadowed Olympic Gold! You might think the Olympics are all about athletic prowess, but sometimes, the biggest hurdles aren't on the ice – they're in the music. U.S. figure skater Amber Glenn, fresh off a team gold medal win at the Milan Cortina Olympics, found herself in a bit of a musical bind, but thankfully, it seems to be resolved.
It all started when Canadian artist Seb McKinnon, known for his music as CLANN, took to social media. He expressed surprise, and perhaps a little confusion, after seeing Glenn perform her free skate to a piece of his music titled “The Return” during the team event. McKinnon posted, "So just found out an Olympic figure skater used one of my songs without permission for their routine. It aired all over the world ... what? Is that usual practice for the Olympics?" before eventually offering congratulations on her medal.
Now, here's the tricky part for figure skaters: they absolutely need to secure copyright permissions for any music they use in their routines. It's a rule designed to protect artists' work. However, this process can be incredibly complex and, as we're seeing, prone to missteps. In fact, several skaters at these very Games have had to make last-minute program changes due to music rights issues.
Glenn herself acknowledged the complexity, stating, "The issue of music rights can be complex and confusing. Seems like there was a hiccup in that whole process. I’m glad we cleared things up with Seb and I look forward to collaborating with him." It’s still unclear exactly where the miscommunication occurred, especially since Glenn had been performing to “The Return” for the past two years without any reported problems.
But here's where it gets interesting... Glenn shared her excitement about the resolution, saying, "It was a dream come true to perform at the Olympic Games and to have Seb acknowledge my performance and congratulate me afterward made the moment even more special." She added her hope that she could introduce new fans to both figure skating and McKinnon's work, emphasizing a desire to support artists and the skating community.
McKinnon, who is also preparing to release his debut feature film, clarified that his initial social media post wasn't intended to stir up controversy. "There’s absolutely no hate on my side," he said. "At the same time I just want to make sure the artist rights are respected."
And this is the part most people miss... The whole copyright issue in figure skating is a relatively recent development. For a long time, skaters primarily used music that was in the public domain. However, back in 2014, the International Skating Union (ISU) eased its regulations, allowing athletes to incorporate more contemporary music that better reflected their personalities. This shift naturally led to artists wanting to be compensated for their creative contributions.
The ISU has been working to help skaters navigate these music rights, but as the Milan Cortina Games show, challenges still arise. Take the case of Spanish skater Tomas-Llorenc Guarino Sabate, who had to scramble to get approval for his short program music, a medley from the animated film “Minions.” He had been using it all season, only to face a potential rejection from Universal Studios right before the Games! Thankfully, he secured the necessary approval at the last minute.
Then there's Russian skater Petr Gumennik, who unfortunately had to change his short program just two days before competition began. He lacked the proper permission for music from the psychological thriller “Perfume: The Story of a Murderer.” He wisely switched to “Waltz 1805” by Edgar Hakobyan, for which he was able to obtain permission.
For Amber Glenn, this copyright situation has made her an unintentional focal point at the Olympics. Beyond the music, she's also been a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. She recently shared that she's been receiving threats after speaking out about the challenges faced by the queer community amidst the current political climate. Glenn expressed her disappointment, stating, "I was disappointed because I’ve never had so many people wish me harm before, just for being me and speaking about being decent — human rights and decency." She wore an LGBTQ+ pin during the team medal ceremony, a powerful symbol of her stance.
Despite these challenges, Glenn and her teammates have been celebrating their gold medals, the second consecutive team victory for the U.S. She's now focusing on preparing for the women's individual competition, which kicks off with the short program on February 17th. Glenn reflected on the team event, saying, "For all of us first-time Olympians, you saw our nerves, and (it was good) just getting them out. So I’m really grateful that I was able to have this opportunity ahead of the individual."
What are your thoughts on the complexities of music copyright in sports like figure skating? Do you think artists are adequately protected, or are the rules too burdensome for athletes? Share your opinions in the comments below!
