Protecting an essential source of income for artists
This short extract is taken from a full-length article in the European Voice by Xavier Blanc (AEPO-ARTIS); Véronique Debrosses (GESAC); Helen Smith (IMPALA) andCécile Despringre (Society of Audiovisual Authors).
The portrayal of collective rights-management organisations (CMOs) in your editorial from 12-18 July is a caricature (“Copyright rules must keep up with digital world”, 12-18 July), and, as organisations representing authors, performers and music producers, we would like to correct that picture.
CMOs are non-profit organisations created for, and most often run by, the artists and creators themselves. They ensure remuneration is paid to right-holders, who individually would in most cases not be able to or, in other cases, would struggle to manage their rights and obtain the appropriate remuneration for the use of their creative works.
As a vital link between individual right-holders and the users of creative works, CMOs stop users from needing to obtain authorisations from thousands of individual right-holders. CMOs are a useful counterweight to increasingly powerful and dominant media and technology companies, whose business is based on consumer demand for films, music and books anywhere, anytime. At the same time, they allow authors and artists to continue creating their works and performances, while driving the growth of the digital single market.