9 June 2013

Press Release: The Amsterdam Initiative 16 small & medium-sized author societies explore cooperation

In view of the upcoming Directive on Collective Rights Management, 16 European Collective Management Organisations expressed their wish to explore the possibility of creating a licensing and administrative vehicle for the online and mobile market in Europe.

The European Commission’s proposed Directive on Collective Rights Management will have a significant impact on the way authors’ societies will conduct their business. In order to be able to continue to serve their members effectively, and to defend local repertoires and the important role of smaller and medium sized collecting societies in the European context, several Collective Management Organisations shared their experiences and insights.

Having met in Amsterdam in May and in Washington DC in early June 2013, these organizations expressed their intention to work together to research the possibility for a vehicle for licensing and administration of rights for the online and mobile environment.

Their vision is to create an efficient, cooperative, multi-‐territorial, multi-‐ repertoire licensing and administrative vehicle for the online and mobile market in Europe. This in order to enhancethe value for local repertoire around Europe, safeguard cultural diversity and reduce complexity and processing cost for both rights holders and Music Service Providers

The possibility will be explored for the creation of an efficient, cost-‐effective licensing and administrative vehicle with the purpose to secure and build value for local repertoire around Europe and reduce complexity for their customers on the basis of:

• A one stop shop for users where aggregated repertoire of any number of

societies can be licensed;

• Equal treatment for all the repertoire it represents;

• Participation on a non-‐exclusive basis;

• Timely, accurate, efficient and centralized cost-‐effective processing.

A development team was created that has the ambition to explore thepossibilities for cooperation in more detail. The results are expected inOctober.

The meeting in Washington was co-‐hosted by Koda and Buma/Stemra. Chairman of the meeting, Mr Anders Lassen, CEO of Koda: “I am very happy with the outcome of this meeting. Our organizations have a long tradition of working closely together and its time to renew this collaboration and see if we can take it to the next level. Hopefully, this initiative will benefit both our members and help shape the future for online music services in Europe”. Co-‐ host Mr Hein van der Ree, CEO of Buma/Stemra added: “It is our commitment to preserve cultural diversity while making a contribution to the development of the online market”.

The intention was agreed by:

• Netherlands: Buma/Stemra

• Denmark: Koda

• Czech republic: OSA

• Slovak Republic: SOZA

• Israel: ACUM

• Greece: AEPI SA

• Ireland: IMRO

• Austria: AKM

• Croatia: HDS

• Romania: UCMR-‐ADA

• Belgium: SABAM

• Poland: ZAIKS

• Switzerland: SUISA

• Norway: TONO

• Finland: TEOSTO

• Austria: Austro Mechana

With more expected to follow. Washington DC, June 7th 2013

Policies

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence brings about many new opportunities for our lives, including in the field of culture and creativity, but its applications also raise a number of ethical and legal questions due to their wide-spread uncontrolled and unchecked usage.

Policies

Music Streaming

Music streaming has unquestionably become the predominant means of enjoying music, replacing traditional physical media and expanded far beyond the live sector by providing user-friendly, high quality, and affordable access to the largest possible repertoire anytime, anywhere, online, or offline.

Songs and compositions are at the heart of this thriving market, which counts 524 million users on subscription-based music services globally, reaches more than 2 billion users including the streaming on UGC platforms, and offers more than 70 million tracks from approximately 8 million artists.

Yet, the authors and composers cannot benefit adequately from this success, and the debate over unfairness of this market is gaining traction across Europe and around the world.

There is a need to look more closely at how songwriters and composers are connected to this thriving economy and what can be done to improve their currently neglected situation.

Read below to find out more about the Music Streaming market.

Policies

Buy-out contracts: a dangerous threat to European creators

European music creators (composers, lyricists etc.) are being forced to forsake thousands of euros in future earnings by draconian ‘work made for hire’ (WMH) and buy-out contracts.

Online audiovisual services and broadcasters that are mainly US-based are forcing music creators to accept such contracts, which enforce a one-time payment in exchange for their rights.

Given the worldwide popularity of shows and series on platforms like Netflix, Amazon, Disney etc., and their replay value, the audiovisual market represents an important revenue stream for creators. Soundtracks alone are part and parcel of series and often attract a similar amount of popularity, massively boosting sales, streams and the worldwide fanbase of their authors.

Read below to find out how video on demand (VOD) platforms and broadcasters are circumventing EU law and what can be done about it.

Policies

Authors’ societies & the collective management model

Authors’ societies are hugely beneficial to both authors (creators), users (platforms and services), and the broader public.

Beyond benefiting these different groups, authors’ societies also support the broader cultural ecosystem by funding and promoting cultural and creative initiatives.

Below are five key benefits to authors’ societies and the collective management model.

Policies

The Copyright Directive

In April 2019, the Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market was formally adopted, a change that will positively transform authors’ rights throughout the EU. Each member state now has until 7 June 2021 to transpose the Directive into their respective national law.

This reform is an opportunity to address pressing issues for authors in the Digital Single Market and will promote the growth of Europe’s creative and cultural industries (CCIs) – a major driver of Europe’s economy.

One of the biggest achievements of this new piece of legislation was to address the
‘Transfer of Value’ problem, a priority issue for all European creators.

Below are some of the Directive’s key areas that will affect creators and those who profit from their work.