02/08/2006 Music Industry Grouping Proposes Digital Age Copyright To Benefit Both Creators and Consumers

An AIM discussion paper on Copyright Reform in the Digital Age has been the springboard for some radical thinking by a wide music industry grouping representing some 85,000 people working in the UK music industry. At a crucial round table debate this month, facilitated by the Smith Institute policy think-tank, they embraced the new concept of a Value Recognition Right.

Record companies, performers, composers, artists, music publishers, producers and music rights organisations discussed the creation of a progressive and innovative Copyright framework which will be fit for purpose in a revolutionised - digitised – entertainment content market. The value of creativity should be recognised and paid for at a time when copyright owners’ control over digital distribution of their music is being severely, probably terminally, eroded.

Key agreement was on the concept of a Value Recognition Right (VRR): this will allow music and other copyright-based creative industries to remove the threat of infringement action from the consumer while setting up a commercial, licensed, relationship with any company deriving value from the sharing or storing of digitised, copyright content. VRR would bring ISPs and mobile network operators into the value chain linking creators to consumers, via a new commercial licensing process. And there would be incentives to build exciting new content models.

“We focused on music because that’ s our business,” says Alison Wenham, “but this issue affects all creative industries as broadband and other technologies advance. We are already talking to organisations and industry sectors, which could not be directly involved in the round table, as we take our ideas forward into the necessary levels of practical, legal and political detail. We hope also to draw ISPs and other technology partners into this discussion."

A more detailed paper will go forward to the Gowers IP Review team, and then to government.

For the full press release, please visit the Press Resources section. To see the Briefiing Paper sent to participants ahead of the debate, please click on the link below.

(Photograph left to right are round table debate participants Robin Millar, Music Producers Guild; Andy Heath, Beggars Group; and Adam Singer, MCPS-PRS Alliance.)

Click the link below for PDF:
Round Table Discussion Briefing Paper (PDF 380KB)



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