European music creators and EU policymakers gather to discuss how to end coercive buy-out practices as the EU anticipates dedicated rules to strike fair balance in copyright framework.
Brussels, 3 February 2026 – This afternoon, European songwriters and composers as well as representatives of their collective management organisations came together with key EU decision makers to address the long-standing and growing phenomenon of coercive buy-out practices affecting audiovisual composers.
Hosted by Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Leire Pajín (S&D, Spain) in the European Parliament, this high-level meeting jointly organised by the European Composer and Songwriter Alliance (ECSA) and the European Grouping of Societies of Authors and Composers (GESAC), provided a platform for authors to share their experiences and rally EU policy makers on the necessary measures against these harmful contractual practices.
Buy-out practices in contracts force music authors to give away all or part of their rights in exchange for a typically low one-time upfront payment. This means that they lose the control of their rights and any opportunity to be fairly remunerated from any of the exploitations of their works in the future.
Despite previous efforts from ECSA and GESAC to tackle such practices, buy-out clauses in contracts still persist and strongly affect music authors’ livelihoods. Often imposed by non-European global players – mainly US-based VOD platforms – such clauses circumvent EU law and its principle of appropriate and proportionate remuneration.
In today’s geopolitical context, strengthening European sovereignty and ensuring EU law applies to all market players is more important than ever. Global digital giants, mainly based outside the EU, must not be allowed to circumvent European law. Europe is built on values and principles – fairness, transparency, and respect for creators’ rights – which must continue to guide EU policymaking in the digital age.
