US figure skater Amber Glenn resolves copyright issue with a Canadian music artist at the Olympics

MILAN (AP) — U.S. figure skater Amber Glenn has smoothed out copyright concerns with the artist behind one of the pieces of her free skate music, and the Olympic team gold medalist thinks she may have struck up a new friendship with him because of it.

Canadian artist Seb McKinnon, who produces music under the name CLANN, had taken to social media after Glenn performed her free skate to conclude the team event Sunday and expressed surprise that his song, “The Return,” was used as part of the program.

“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?” McKinnon posted to X, before later congratulating Glenn on her medal.

Figure skaters are required to obtain copyright permission for the music they use. But the process is confusing and prone to mistakes, and several skaters at the Milan Cortina Games have had to change programs at the last minute because of it.

“The issue of music rights can be complex and confusing,” Glenn said in a statement. “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 was not clear where the hiccup occurred. Glenn has been performing to “The Return” for the past two years without any issues.

“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,” Glenn said. “It’s my sincere hope that I was able to help create new fans of both figure skating and Seb. We will move forward and continue supporting both artists and the skating community.”

McKinnon, whose debut feature film “The Stolen Child” will be released soon, confirmed Monday that the copyright issues had been resolved. McKinnon said he wasn't trying to cause a controversy but wanted to ensure the rights of artists were respected.

“I love it when music inspires people," he said. “We can all agree creators deserve clear consent, proper credit and fair compensation when their work is used. It doesn’t matter if you’re the most famous artist in the world or a complete unknown. It’s for all.”

The issue of copyright is a relatively new problem in figure skating, because for generations the only music that could be used was mostly part of the public domain. But when the International Skating Union relaxed its regulations in 2014 and athletes began using more modern music reflective of their own personality, some artists began to demand compensation for their work.

The ISU has been working to help skaters avoid copyright problems, but several still have popped up during the Winter Games.

Spanish skater Tomas-Llorenc Guarino Sabate had to work feverishly to obtain approval for the music to his short program, set to a medley from the animated film “Minions.” Sabate had been performing the popular program all season, only to learn Universal Studios was poised to reject its use during the Winter Games. He got the final approval he needed last Friday.

Russian skater Petr Gumennik did have to change his short program two days before the start of competition Tuesday night because he did not have the proper permission for music from “Perfume: The Story of a Murderer,” a psychological thriller. He pivoted to “Waltz 1805” by Edgar Hakobyan, for which Gumennik was able to get permission.

As for Glenn, the three-time U.S. champion has become an unintentional lightning rod during the Olympics.

An outspoken LGBTQ+ rights activist, Glenn said she has been receiving threats following a pre-Olympics press conference in which she said that the queer community is going through a “hard time” amid the political climate under President Donald Trump.

“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,” Glenn said Sunday night, wearing an LGBTQ+ pin on her team jacket during the team medal ceremony.

“So that was really disappointing,” Glenn added, “and I do think it kind of lowered that excitement for this.”

Glenn spent most of Monday making the TV rounds with several of her teammates to celebrate their gold medals, the second straight for the Americans in the Olympic team event. Then she planned to head to a training camp outside of Milan to prepare for the women's individual competition, which begins with the short program on Feb. 17.

“For all of us first-time Olympians, you saw our nerves, and (it was good) just getting them out,” Glenn said following the team event. "So I’m really grateful that I was able to have this opportunity ahead of the individual.”

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Amber Glenn of the United States competes during the figure skating women's team event at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

From left, Amber Glenn and ice dance team Madison Chock and Evan Bates celebrate winning the gold medal after the figure skating team event at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Team USA's Amber Glenn celebrates with her gold medal after the figure skating team event at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are stalling on Wall Street after a report showed U.S. retailers made less money at the end of last year than economists expected. The S&P 500 edged up 0.1% in early trading Tuesday and remains close to its all-time high set a couple weeks ago. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 254 points, and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.1%. Treasury yields fell in the bond market following the weaker-than-expected report on retail sales. Coca-Cola fell after reporting revenue that came in below forecasts and giving an outlook that disappointed investors. Japanese stocks rose to another record.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

Wall Street shifted from small gains to losses early Tuesday amid another deluge of corporate earnings while Japan’s benchmark set another record after a historic election win for the nation’s first female prime minister.

Futures for the S&P 500 fell 0.1% before the opening bell, while Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were down 0.2%. Nasdaq futures were down less than 0.2%.

Coca-Cola slid nearly 4% after the beverage giant topped Wall Street's profit expectations but fell short on revenue targets. Coke's revenue rose 2% from the same quarter last year, helped by 4% price hikes in North America.

Spotify jumped 9.7% after it the streaming music and podcast platform reported that its monthly active users and subscribers each grew by double-digit percentages in the fourth quarter.

Ford Motor Co. releases its latest financial results after the closing bell Tuesday.

Coming later Tuesday morning is the government's latest retail sales data.

Also this week, the government on Wednesday issues its January jobs report, while Friday will bring the latest monthly reading of inflation at the consumer level.

Either report could sway expectations for what the Federal Reserve will do with interest rates. The Fed has put its cuts to interest rates on hold, but a weakening of the job market could push it to resume more quickly.

Too-hot inflation could keep it on hold for longer. One of the reasons the U.S. stock market remains close to records is the expectation that the Fed will continue cutting interest rates.

In Asian trading, Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 jumped 2.3% to finish at 57,650.54, a record close. It jumped 3.9% to a record Monday after the landslide victory for Sanae Takaichi’s political party in Sunday's parliamentary election. Takaichi is expected to push through reforms intended to boost the economy and stock market.

“Japan’s fiscal stance could loosen further because the LDP’s supermajority will enable the new government to implement policies with few obstacles,” Fitch Ratings said in a report following the election, referring to Takaichi's Liberal Democratic Party.

“Policy choices under the new government are likely to focus on tax relief and growth-oriented investment spending, reflecting voter concerns over higher inflation and low income growth,” it said.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng surged 0.6% to 27,183.15, while the Shanghai Composite added 0.1% to 4,128.37.

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 declined less than 0.1% to 8,867.40. South Korea's Kospi gained less than 0.1% to 5,301.69.

In Europe at midday, France’s CAC 40 was unchanged, while Britain’s FTSE 100 slipped 0.5%. Germany’s DAX was down 0.2%.

In energy markets, benchmark U.S. crude rose 21 cents to $64.57 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, advanced 31 cents to $69.35 a barrel.

The U.S. dollar fell to 155.08 Japanese yen from 155.88 yen. The euro cost $1.1894, down from $1.1918.

Yuri Kageyama is on Threads: https://www.threads.com/@yurikageyama

Trader Michael Milano works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Trader Chris Lagana works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026, as the Dow Jones industrial average closed above the 50,000 level for the first time. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Specialist Anthony Matesic works at his post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Currency traders watch monitors near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), top center, and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won, top center left, at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Currency traders work near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), top right, and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

A person walks in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei index at a securities firm Monday, Feb. 9, 2026, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Currency traders work near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), top center, and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won, top left, at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)