On 15 September a study commissioned by IAO entitled “Streams & Dreams – A Fair Music Economy for All” was published, recommending the introduction of a right to equitable remuneration for streaming in the music sector. It is available here.

The purpose of the study was to investigate what is needed for a fair digital music economy to exist. It took into account all parties involved in the industry but focussed on featured artists.

Data was obtained from 200 professional active musicians in several European countries, and, to contextualize how ranking systems shape income, we examined platform recommendation mechanics used in recommended sweepstakes casinos alongside a thorough review of academic research on remuneration. The study focused on the right to equitable remuneration and also addressed user-centric versus pro rata models and collective management.

A survey showed that 87.5% of respondents are unsatisfied, or very unsatisfied, with their revenues from streaming platforms. It made specific reference to the fact that the findings were in line with other studies, including a study commissioned by AEPO-ARTIS.

It identified the problem with streaming as being the need “… to fix the true unfair practices in the music industry, imbalances in power that have led to a situation where… artists still do not receive a correct remuneration”

Among its findings were:

• A right to unwaivable equitable remuneration must be introduced
• Only 8.5% of respondents believed an ER solution would influence their revenues negatively.
• Only 21% of the artists signed to a label were satisfied with their deal.
• The current situation where some countries have implemented an ER right as a part of the DSM directive, while others have not, is not sustainable.

It found that a solution based on legislation which introduces the mere principle of “fair contracts’ does not work. It referred to a Norwegian law which has such a principle and stated that: “After four years it seems that the new act has not had any direct implications on praxis.”

Instead, it recommended a solution of introducing an ER right and concluding agreements with labels: “A hybrid model with both an unwaivable equitable remuneration right (the Spain/Belgium model) and agreements between label and artist communities (the French model) on fair contract practices.”

This is yet another study that comes to the conclusion that the introduction of a right to equitable remuneration is essential to a fair streaming industry. There is now overwhelming academic support for the introduction of such a right.

See also: WIPO Study “Artists in the Digital Music Marketplace: economic and legal considerations” by Christian L. Castle, Esq. and Prof. Claudio Feijóo (available here), “The Principle Of Appropriate And Proportionate Remuneration Of Art.18 Digital Single Market Directive: Some Thoughts For Its National Implementation”, by Professor Raquel Xalabarder (available here), and the DCMS Economics of Music Streaming report (available here).

On July 20th, Commissioner Thierry Breton, responded to a Parliamentary Question that was tabled in March 2022 by the Cultural and Creators Friendship Group (CCFG).

The question concerning article 18 of the Copyright Directive (2019/790) which puts on the Member States the obligation to “ensure that where authors and performers license or transfer their exclusive rights for the exploitation of their works or other subject matter, they are entitled to receive appropriate and proportionate remuneration” and grants them the freedom “to use different mechanisms and take into account the principle of contractual freedom and a fair balance of rights and interests.”

 

 

This article 18 is linked to the general objective of the directive “to adapt and supplement the existing Union copyright framework, while keeping a high level of protection of copyright and related rights” in order to face the “rapid technological developments that continue to transform the way works and other subject matter are created, produced, distributed and exploited.” (Recital 3).

As advocates of a high level of protection for performers, AEPO-ARTIS and all its members have been calling upon all Member States to implement this article not with a literal copy-paste of the wording , but with effective mechanisms. We have always promoted the introduction of an unwaivable remuneration right for the making available of our performers’ work to increase their level of protection in the online environment. For performers the system of an equitable remuneration for streaming exploitations is the best possible way to increase their chances to make a living out of their profession.

The resistance we felt against this proposal has always been great. Certain stakeholders from the creative industries did not see their own business model of maximisation working in a landscape where part of the streaming remuneration would be paid directly to the performers. They sometimes went so far as to state that equitable remuneration is not equitable at all. But the argument most used was that a system of an unwaivable right to remuneration would not be in conformity with the directive, a statement that never received any legal justification, but did have an impact on the debate.

There is therefore no doubt that we warmly welcome Commissioner Breton’s response. It is not only a theoretical response, but also one with practical implications.

In his response Breton confirmed that “the Commission considers that, in principle, Member States could transpose article 18 through an unwaivable remuneration right”, provided that this “complies with relevant EU law, including the principle of contractual freedom, fair balance of rights and interests, and the exclusive rights in the copyright acquis”. The last of these has always been a central part of the proposals made by AEPO-ARTIS and its members at European and national level.

A different answer could not really have been expected. Unwaivable remuneration rights are already known in EU law and a remuneration right for the act of making available can therefore be perfectly integrated into the national legislation of each Member State. Spain, Italy and Hungary had already done this. Belgium and Germany, among others, have added this as part of their implementation of the directive. It is now clear once and for all that these countries have acted in accordance with the directive.

His answer also confirms that a literal implementation can never be seen as a correct implementation. This is clear from his statement that “Any provision implementing article 18 should secure appropriate and proportionate remuneration to authors and performers”, something that the literal copy-pasting of the wording of Article 18 (which several Member States have already done) does not achieve.

AEPO-ARTIS and its members will make every effort in the coming months to inform Member States that have yet to transpose the directive that an unwaivable remuneration right is indeed a choice that is in conformity with the Copyright directive. Moreover, we will point out to them that this is by far the most effective way to transpose Article 18 of the directive into national law and so far the only way to guarantee that the growing digital market acquires a place in the revenue model of every performer.

Danish Musician’s Union delivered signatures of 4500 artists supporting the #Fixstreaming campaign to the Danish Minister of Culture Ane Halsboe-Jørgensen, asking for a fair remuneration of Danish artists in the music sector. Read more about it here (in Danish).

Despite the fact that recorded music every minute gives billions of people great experiences, over the last 10 years there has been a decline in the income of artists from recorded music.

The Danish Musician’s Union decided to do something about it and, following in the footsteps of the #PayPerformers campaign, and with the consent of the UK #fixstreaming campaign, it initiated its own #Fixstreaming campaign with the goal of drawing the attention of the Danish lawmakers to the fact that Danish artists in the music sector are unfairly remunerated. The campaign urges them to grant performers a right to equitable remuneration for making available on demand, payable by the platforms and subject to compulsory collective management.

This comes at the time when the Danish Parliament is considering its options on how to implement the EU directive on copyright in the digital single market and in particular article 18, which obliges all Member States to ensure that authors and performers receive adequate and proportionate remuneration when their works and performances are exploited.

‘We certainly hope that the government would include the right for remuneration in the draft law which will be published in the next months, before the summer break.’ says Morten Madsen, from the Danish Musician’s Union.

Many artists have supported the campaign, with a petition launched by #Fixstreaming now having over 4500 signatories in favor of the proposal, some of them being well-known Danish artists like Steffen Westmark, guitar player and lead singer of The Blue Van and singer and songwriter Sys Bjerre. We can only support this initiative and hope the efforts are fruitful.

Learn more about the campaign here and you can find the in-depth article on this link (in Danish).

Almost three years after the adoption of the Copyright Directive, less than 50% of Member States have transposed it, leaving performers in the dark as to the right on a fair remuneration as laid down in article 18.

On February 9th, 2022, Members of the European Parliament, performers and copyright officials from across the European Union met online to voice their concerns regarding the implementation of the Copyright Directive that guarantees fair remuneration to the performers. This summit highlighted the current hardship experienced by performers, with MEPs sending an urgent message to Member States that have not yet implemented change to provide proper remuneration to those who are the backbone of their Cultural and Creative sector.

For background, in April 2019 the European Parliament approved the Copyright Directive (2019/790) as part of the European Digital Strategy making the European Union a global digital player. The most important article for performers in this Directive is without a doubt article 18, which introduces the principle of a fair remuneration. Performers are entitled to an appropriate and proportionate remuneration. Today, the number of countries that have transposed the Directive is still only 10. And the criticism that the majority have limited themselves to literal transposition without introducing effective remuneration mechanisms to turn this principle into practice is unfortunately still valid.

MEP Alexis Georgoulis (GUE/NGL, Greece), board member of the Cultural and Creative Friendship Group (CCFG), emphasized this in his opening remarks: “It is disappointing that among the countries which have transposed the directive into their national law, sometimes the intention of the directive about protecting performers’ rights does not seem to be fully nor effectively implemented.”

This meeting served as a vital platform for performers to speak directly with MEPs and voice their concerns regarding the lack of change in the framework legislation dictating their livelihoods. Welcoming all participants, Laura Groeseneken, President of the Flemish Musicians’ guild, highlighted the urgent need for change, particularly at this time when most are unable to earn a living through live performances.

This dire situation continues despite, as MEP Georgoulis added, an explicit effort to change this in the past: “Nearly a year and a half ago, we, members of the CCFG, made a plea to the European Commission and to Member States to deliver on Article 18 of the EU Copyright Directive in an open letter. Months later, along with other colleagues, we adopted the resolution on the situation of artists, in which we identified the Copyright Directive as crucial for the recovery of the Cultural sector and pleaded for its immediate implementation by all Member States. “

Collectively Managed Remuneration Rights

Chair of the PayPerformers campaign Dominic McGonigal added further pressure for MEPs to make a call for action to Member States, highlighting the importance of implementing a remuneration right with mandatory collective management: “Article 18 can only be effectively transposed if Member States choose to implement the mechanism which was pointed out by several expert studies as the best way to appropriate and proportionate remuneration, remuneration rights managed by Collective Management Organisations (CMOs).”

McGonigal is calling on MEPs to deliver on their promise from 2019: “In 2019, the Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market (CDSM Directive) was adopted as MEPs recognised that performers were not getting fair remuneration. Consequently, MEPs put the right to be fairly remunerated in the Directive to protect all performers (Article 18).”

National Transposition of the Directive

Representing CMOs, Gregor Štibernik, Managing Director at AIPA (Slovenia), shared the frustration expressed by Dominic McGonigal and MEP Alexis Georgoulis. He emphasized that simply implementing the DSM Directive in a copy-paste manner is not effective “It is a frustrating situation because national governments are not listening and instead, are implementing the Directive without attention to the actual consequence of a literal transposition. The World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) even stated that collective management is the best option to manage the rights of performers properly.”

The Spanish Mechanism and the Performer Perspective

As a renowned musician and singer with millions of streams of his performances online, Nacho Vega witnessed first-hand how poor legislation can negatively affect performers’ livelihoods: “In my case for example, the royalties that were declared to me by the three major labels in 2019 represented only 4% of my overall income. Before the streaming boom this could be up to 25-30% which is a huge difference from 4%. I know some artists that could make a living on these 25-30% of their total income. I don’t know any artist that could live on just 4%.”

Vega took the virtual floor and expressed his discontent at how Member States are moving forward with the transposition of the Directive. He provided MEPs and participants with a glimpse into what is possible with active change, describing the system in place in Spain, where since 2006, performers benefit from a remuneration right with mandatory collective management. He noted that this system effectively provides performers with a fair and equitable remuneration through their CMO: “This system has gained broad support between performers, academics and experts. Spotify has also confirmed that they continue to operate in the Spanish market even though this mechanism is in place.”

He added that “it’s essential that the Member States that haven’t transposed yet implement a consistent mechanism that regulates authors and performers in an appropriate and proportionate way, and the only system that has proven its effectiveness so far is an unwaivable remuneration right subject to mandatory collective management.”

MEPs Ready to Take a Stance

Following the call by performers and their representatives for Member States to implement Article 18 effectively, MEPs expressed their support. MEP Victor Negrescu (S&D, Romania), Vice-Chair of the CULT Committee, reiterated the crucial need for Member States to support performers: “Creators and performers need to focus on their work and what they’re good at rather than being burdened by financial instability and being worried about the survival of their families.” He added that “the Cultural and Creative sector is integral to the European economy and the European society” and reassured stakeholders present that they “could count on the support of the Parliament which is always ready to listen and find the best suitable solution for performers.”

MEP Negrescu was joined in this sentiment by MEP Ibán García del Blanco (S&D, Spain), also a board member of the CCFG: “It is fully recognised that the principle of Article 18 which guarantees authors and performers appropriate and proportionate remuneration aligns with the implementation of a remuneration right for the online exploitation of their works mandating collective management organisations to collect and distribute it.” MEP García del Blanco further expressed a strong desire and intent to work with Member States that have yet to transpose the Directive to help provide performers with appropriate remuneration: “Today only 10 Member States have implemented the Directive. In my view it is important to help those other Member States that yet have to do their homework and to do it as soon as possible as to speed up to support the creators.”

AEPO-ARTIS General-Secretary Ioan Kaes emphasized that “Covid exposes the painful situation that has been existing for years. It merely shows the urgency to work on a new model for online exploitations. An online environment run by exclusive rights only has proven to be ineffective and not inclusive.” He stated that – while thanking the MEPs for their many initiatives in support of performers – the Commission is sending opposite signals giving Member States room to not react, raising an important question: “What else can we do? What is the next step that we can take to convince Member States to take the option of a collectively managed remuneration right into consideration as part of a model that serves all?”

MEP Negrescu, MEP García del Blanco and MEP Georgoulis have vowed to work hand in hand with performers and stakeholders to uphold the intent of Article 18, confirming that this Summit was instrumental in strengthening the already existing cooperation between the EU Parliament and performers. Over the next months, the PayPerformers campaign and supporting MEPs will work together to advance performer rights, answering hopefully the true demands by thousands of performers EU-wide.

 

AEPO-ARTIS has published an animation summarising why performers’ remuneration rights and their collective management are important: https://vimeo.com/5060198 (et disponible avec des sous-titres en français ici: https://vimeo.com/543120344 )

 

 

On 17 March 2021, European collective management organisations and their members came together to discuss how to secure fair remuneration for performers and audiovisual authors. 12 European performers, screenwriters and directors contributed with a clear message that they need their collective management organisations to be involved in the implementation of Article 18 of the Copyright Directive.

Watch the video from performers and audiovisual authors here.

THEIR MESSAGE (TRANSCRIBED):

In 2019, the EU adopted the Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market.
Article 18 of the Directive obliges Member States to make sure that we – authors and performers – receive fair remuneration for the exploitation of our work.
We call on Member States to implement this Directive properly and to ensure we receive fair remuneration.
We invest our passion, time, and money into our projects, but we rarely benefit from its success, particularly online.
So far, streaming and downloads have not given us the returns that we deserve.
Alone, it is difficult to defend our rights and royalties against the big on-demand platforms.
Together, as members of Collective Management Organisations, we are stronger and can make sure our rights are respected.
CMOs manages authors and performers’ rights on our behalf and in our best interest. They are our safety net.
We trust CMOs to defend our rights, negotiate with users, collect and distribute our royalties.
Article 18 would create an income stream for authors within the audiovisual sector and for all performers across Europe, independent of our contractual arrangements, and managed by our CMOs.
We deserve to be fairly remunerated for our work, right? Right!

 

IN THE VIDEO:

Robert Alberdingk Thijm, screenwriter, the Netherlands
Barbara Białowąs, director, Poland
Isabel Blanco, actress, Spain
Anne Bouvier, actress, France
Sebastian Cavazza, actor, Slovenia
Luc Dardenne, director, Belgium
Neil Dudgeon, actor, UK
Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar, director and screenwriter, France
Gregory Montel, actor, France
Katharina Mückstein, director, Austria
Kasia Rodowicz, singer, Poland
Ivana Sujova, screenwriter, Slovakia

The event was organised by the Association of European Performers’ Organisations (AEPO-ARTIS) and the Society of Audiovisual Authors (SAA), and supported by the European Parliament’s Cultural Creators Friendship Group (CCFG).

Quotes

“To make art is a hard work. It takes months, years to write a book or a screenplay. I live with my story night and day. I have no time left for negotiating or managing my rights. Writing for film and TV is a very isolated and competitive profession. That’s why I joined my CMO when I was a young author, otherwise I would be alone”.
Jochen Greve, screenwriter, Germany

“Unity is strength. Collectivity is the key here. CMOs can offer a common response and legal solutions to global troubles. I think CMOs are the strong arm that performers can hold onto during their whole career, in the good times and the bad”.
Nacho Garcia Vega, musician, Spain

“I have taken a new initiative, aiming at the establishment of a European Label or Certificate, for the platforms that play-and-pay fairly. With such a sign or a badge, citizens are informed and may make a consumption choice, and thus, prefer platforms that pay artists according to their played content.”
Alexis Georgoulis, actor and MEP (GUE/NGL, Greece)

Note to editors

AEPO-ARTIS – is a non-profit making organisation that represents 36 European performers’ collective management organisations from 26 different countries. The number of performers represented by the 36 member organisations of AEPO-ARTIS can be estimated at between 400,000 and 500,000.
Press: Nicole Schulze, aepo-artis@aepo-artis.org, +32 2 280 19 34 @aepoartis

SAA – the Society of Audiovisual Authors is the association of European collective management organisations representing audiovisual authors. Its 33 members in 25 countries manage rights for over 160,000 film, television and multimedia European screenwriters and directors. Press: Annica Ryngbeck, a.ryngbeck@saa-authors.eu, +32 475 66 95 94. @saabrussels #WeLoveAuthors

CCFG – the Cultural Creators Friendship Group is a cross-partisan coalition in the European Parliament with members from six different political groups. We aim at improving the whole European cultural ecosystem, such as the Cultural and Creative Sectors and especially the situation and conditions of creators, for example authors, performers and artists.
@CultCreatorsEU

 

 

AEPO-ARTIS ONLINE SEMINAR CONCLUDES THAT MEMBER STATES MUST REBALANCE THE STREAMING MARKET IN FAVOUR OF PERFORMERS BY INTRODUCING UNWAIVABLE REMUNERATION RIGHTS

BRUSSELS, 17 November 2020: AEPO-ARTIS put performers’ rights at the centre of the debate at its online seminar “Performers and performers’ rights: How can we create a sustainable creative eco-system in Europe?” today.

Performers are the backbone of Europe’s rich cultural and creative sector. However, the current COVID-19 pandemic is a reminder just how fragile the creative ecosystem is, with many performers forced to consider giving up their profession as their art can no longer support them. Now more than ever, it is crucial that the legal framework protecting performers is strengthened.

MEP Niklas Nienass set the tone very early on in the discussion by asking how it is possible that only 1% of performers receive the equivalent of a minimum wage from streaming services.

As Member States are now implementing the 2019 EU Copyright Directive and in particular its article 18, which guarantees performers appropriate and proportionate remuneration – especially from streaming, the question is how this can be best achieved.

The exchanges following were very clear. “The EU is placing this important issue in the hands of national legislators. It is a great opportunity for Member States to set this right and secure appropriate and proportionate remuneration for performers” said Professor Raquel Xalabarder of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya.

She recommended that, following her research[1], Member States should implement article 18 by introducing an unwaivable remuneration right for performers for on demand uses and paid by digital platforms. A system which is not new to EU law as was confirmed by Marco Giorello, head of the copyright unit at the European Commission.

Jose Maria Montes, Vice President of AEPO-ARTIS confirmed that this model is already in operation in Spain and that both AISGE and AIE, the Spanish performers’ collective management organisations, are successfully collecting remuneration from streaming platforms on behalf of performers without any negative impact on the market or on subscription fees of consumers.

Member States have to implement the Directive by June 2021 into their national laws. AEPO-ARTIS calls on them to create a sustainable streaming market, where performers are fairly and proportionately remunerated. The unwaivable remuneration right, managed by performers’ CMOs and paid by digital platforms, is a solution to rebalance the market that is simple, efficient and fully in line with the EU acquis.

It is crucial that Member States ensure that the 2019 Copyright Directive results in an actual improvement of the situation of performers. The status quo is not acceptable!

A recording of the event is available here: AEPO-ARTIS Webinar 17 November 2020

The press release is available here: Aepo-Artis Online Seminar – Press Release

 

For more information please visit www.aepo-artis.org or contact Nicole Schulze +32 487 25 09 51

 

[1] https://indret.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/1591.pdf

Performers’ organisations welcome European Parliament’s CCFG call to the European Commission and Member States to ensure an effective implementation of article 18 EU Copyright Directive guaranteeing the fair remuneration of authors and performers for the use of their work on streaming services

Today’s open letter of the Cultural Creators Friendship Group of the European Parliament sends a strong signal to the European Commission and the Member States. It confirms that the European Parliament stands fully behind article 18 of the 2019 Copyright Directive, which aims to provide performers with a proportionate remuneration for all online exploitations of their fixed performances, including from on demand use.

The FAIR INTERNET coalition strongly welcomes this open letter which is available here: CCFG Open Letter

Member States, who are now implementing this provision into their national laws, should not limit such implementation to a mere verbatim of article 18 of the 2019 Copyright Directive. They must make sure that the objective of the article is met.

Compliance with the spirit and objectives of article 18 depend entirely on the measures that Member States will put in place. They must create a sustainable streaming market, where performers are fairly and proportionately remunerated. The FAIR INTERNET coalition believes that the introduction of an unwaivable remuneration right, managed by performers’ CMOs and paid by digital platforms, constitutes an option that is simple, efficient and fully in line with the EU acquis.

It is crucial that Member States ensure that the 2019 Copyright Directive results in an actual improvement of the situation of performers. The status quo is not an acceptable!

 

The FAIR INTERNET coalition statement is available here: FAIR INTERNET coalition statement

For further information please contact:
Nicole Schulze
+32 487 25 09 51

Professor Raquel Xalabarder of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, recently published an article entitled “The Principle Of Appropriate And Proportionate Remuneration Of Art.18 Digital Single Market Directive: Some Thoughts For Its National Implementation”. The article is accessible here.

Professor Xalabarder is a respected copyright expert. She has published numerous papers, as well as a recent study prepared for CISAC on the subject of equitable remuneration for audiovisual authors.

In her latest paper, she explains why an unwaivable remuneration right for on demand uses is an appropriate and efficient mechanism to implement article 18 of the DSMD.

She states that “a verbatim implementation of the principle in Art.18 DSMD is not enough. Member States are expected and obliged to go further implementing, as necessary, different mechanisms to effectively secure fair remuneration of Authors and Performers”.

“The principle of fair remuneration in Art.18 DSMD not only confirms the important role of national legislators in securing that goal, but obliges them to explore and implement the full potential of these several mechanisms, adjusting them to different sectors as necessary”.

She then addresses in detail a number of potential “mechanisms” that could be used, namely (i) statutory contractual rules, (ii) collective bargaining and (iii) statutory remuneration rights.

In her conclusion, she highlights the effectiveness of statutory residual remuneration rights where implemented, as follows:

“Previous experience shows that statutory contract rules per se are not enough”…

“Unwaivable (and inalienable) statutory residual remuneration rights, granted by law to Authors and Performers, upon transferring their rights to the producer, paid by users/licensees and subject to collective management have proven to be the most effective mechanism to secure appropriate and proportionate remuneration for Authors and Performers…”.

“Residual remuneration rights secure a constant flow of revenues for all Authors and Performers (regardless of nationality), for current as well as future means of exploitation, with no need to revise / renegotiate production contracts. They neither disturb the exercise and enforcement of exclusive rights, nor the chain of exploitation, which remains in the hands of producers and rightsholders”.

As the implementation window is getting narrower, it is essential that Member States are made aware of the most practicable and efficient options, to make sure that the 2019 Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market results in an actual improvement of the situation of authors and performers. The status quo cannot be an option!

The Association of European Performers’ Organisations (AEPO-ARTIS), the European Composer and Songwriter Alliance (ECSA), and the International Federation of Musicians (FIM) collectively represent over 500 000 composers, songwriters and performers. We feel compelled to speak out against the harmful development of Epidemic Sound for the ability of these professionals to make a living from their creations.

Over the recent years, the Swedish company Epidemic Sound has grown extensively by selling “royalty-free music” to various commercial companies, like video-on-demand platforms and TV stations. It uses 100% buy-out contracts – whereby music authors and performers sell their rights for the full term of protection in exchange for a lump sum payment – depriving them from payment of royalties and equitable remuneration, which are essential to their livelihoods. It also often substitutes the name of music creators with the company’s name in their credits, showing a profound disrespect for our members’ moral rights to be properly credited for their works and performances.

While our organisations regularly receive complaints from music creators about these malpractices, the tech company Adobe has recently partnered with Epidemic Sound and Jamendo to launch a library of “royalty-free” music. This partnership further hinders the music creators’ ability to earn a living from the exploitation of their works and performances. In a context where our members’ activities are under existential threat because of the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences, the development of buy-out contracts eludes the collective rights management system and prevents guaranteed payments based on remuneration rights. The expansion of Epidemic Sound represents yet another threat to the fair remuneration of authors and performers in the music sector and their ability to develop sustainable careers.

We therefore firmly condemn this partnership, which relies on the expropriation of music authors and performers from their rights and legitimate revenues. We call on any public or private company to refrain from collaborating with an entity that disrespects authors and performers and their basic economic and moral rights. Moreover, we urge all authors and performers in the music sector to carefully consider all the potential consequences of buy-out agreements, whereby all their exclusive rights are transferred in perpetuity against no future revenue. The development of such buy-out malpractices, which do not even give credit toauthors and performers, have nothing modern nor innovative. They simply prevent music creators from being paid fairly for the use of their works, which should no longer occur in the 21st century.

The statement in full is available here: AEPO-ARTIS-ECSA-FIM Epidemic-Sound Statement