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PRESS RELEASE – The value generated by creative works benefits almost exclusively to digital intermediaries to the detriment of right holders and in particular, of creators. European creators are asking for a clarification of the European legal provisions on copyright to ensure the sustainability of the digital ecosystem.

Tuesday 3 March.  The Intergroup of the European Parliament on Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI) set up by MEPs Christian Ehler and Pervenche Berès welcomed the German and French Ministers for Culture, Ms. Monika Grütters and Ms. Fleur Pellerin for a debate during which GESAC presented the main results of the recent EY study on the European cultural and creative sector.

The CCI generate 4.2% of the EU’s GDP and provide jobs for more than 7 million people in Europe.  Creative works are one of the main sources of the digital economy and of the operators of information technologies such as search engines, social media or platforms of user generated content.  However, the value generated is not fairly shared.  Creators urge the European institutions to address this crucial issue in the context of the ongoing reflection on copyright.

Intermediaries have a role to play in the digital economy and in remunerating authors whose works circulate on their platforms and networks.  It should be clarified to avoid any drift that liability exemptions provided for by the e-commerce directive are not applicable to them.

GESAC’s General Manager Véronique Desbrosses said: ” This initiative led by two distinguished MEPs which was attended by the French and German Ministers for Culture and by a high number of MEPs and Commission officials demonstrated the importance given by the European policy makers to CCI for the digital economy and to a high level protection of copyright /authors rights. GESAC representing more than 1 million creators and right holders welcomes this clear support. The purely mercantile perspective of some Internet intermediaries has a potentially destructive impact on the creative ecosystem and the value transfer resulting from that behaviour should be addressed within the forthcoming review of the EU authors’ right/copyright legislation.”

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Contact: Véronique Desbrosses, GESAC General Manager : 0032 2 511 44 54

GESAC represents 34 authors’ societies throughout Europe, and through them more than 1,000,000 creators and right holders in the area of music, graphic and plastic arts, literary and dramatic works and audio-visual

In an effort to emphasise our transparency and debunk some long-persisting myths about the way authors’ societies work, we started collecting information from our member societies in order to have an unprecedented set of aggregated key figures on our functioning.

Just a few highlights:

–          GESAC counted more than 1 million rights holders

–          €5.1 billion in royalties were collected throughout the globe

–          Over half a million creators and other rights holders received royalties

The survey also showed that our 34 member societies attract thousands of new members every year: ample proof that collective management is still the most relevant way of ensuring fair remuneration for authors, legal certainty for repertoire users and an easy and wide-ranging access to works for fans and consumers.

We are excited for this report to contribute to a better understanding of collective management. A new and improved edition is already in the pipeline for the 2014 figures.

Check out the figures!

Print version

*these are updated figures following a complete review of the scope of the study at the end of 2015.

The Creators Conference is a European Forum organised by the European Composer and Songwriter Alliance (ECSA) and supported by GESAC. The Conference provides a high level European platform where creators, music business representatives and EU policy-makers can exchange views on freedom of expression, author’s rights, new economic models, international cooperation, fair remuneration and will compose the future of music creators together. For more information please visit http://creatorsconference.org/home

A new report by our Irish member IMRO shows that the Irish music industry contributes almost half a billion Euro to the economy and supports more than 11 500 jobs.

This report, produced by Deloitte and commissioned by the Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO), was launched recently by Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Heather Humphreys TD and Irish singer-songwriters Brian Kennedy and Luan Parle.

Some key figures of the report are that the Irish music industry:

–          contributes over €470 mn to the economy

–          supports more than 11 510 jobs in Ireland (of which 9 030 are direct and 2 480 are indirect)

–          experienced a large fall in recorded music sales from €72 mn to €33 mn per year.

The report also outlines a number of recommendations, including:

• The establishment of a Music Industry Taskforce, with representatives from Government, the business community and industry to help reinvigorate the sector and encourage collaboration;
• Appointing an IP ‘Tsar’ to consider the impact of IP and copyright legislation and enforcement in both the music and technology industries;
• The development of advanced training courses for music professionals to focus on ‘business of music’ education, particularly for early career musicians;
• Establishing a Music Office – Music Ireland – to act as a focal point for the music industry, similar to the Irish Film Board. This office would provide assistance to individuals in the music sector and those looking to enter new overseas markets; Greater collaboration between the music, tourism, gaming and technology sectors;
• Greater support for musicians, many of whom are self-employed, in accessing finance and ensuring that fiscal supports are effective and appropriately structured.

Read the full report here.