European Commission Proposes Copyright Collective for On-Line Music

The European Commission has published a study on how copyright for musical works is licensed for use on the Internet. The study concludes that entirely new structures for cross-border collective management of copyright are required, and that the most effective model for achieving this is to enable right-holders to authorise a collecting society of their choice to manage their works across the entire EU.

Internal Market and Services Commissioner Charlie McCreevy said: “We have to improve the licensing of music copyright on the Internet. The absence of pan-European copyright licenses makes it difficult for new European-based online services to take off. This is why we are proposing the creation of Europe-wide copyrights clearance. Central clearance is not about making content available on the cheap. It offers a model whereby Europe’s creative community will get the lion’s share in revenues achieved online.”

Click here for more information from the Commission on central copyright clearance for online use across the EU.