MusicTank Launches Private Copy Exemption White Paper
26 March 2015 - Press releaseAlternative Model For Artist Compensation Proposed For Private Copying
Pre-eminent music industry think tank and business information hub, MusicTank, University of Westminster today announces publication of its latest white paper - Private Copying Of Music: A New Model For Artist Compensation.
Written by former MA Music Business Management student, Sam Rudy, this paper argues for an immediate EU-wide statutory introduction of an improved blank tape levy and proposes an evolution of the concept of private copying.
This complex aspect of rightsholder remuneration is timely - October 1st 2014 saw an end to the UK’s ‘odd-man-out-in-Europe’ status, by ratifying the Copyright and Rights in Performances (Personal Copies for Private Use) Regulations 2014, granting consumers the legal right to copy CDs and DVDs onto personal computers, mobile devices and internet-based cloud locker services, for their own personal use.
However, despite this directive calling for ‘fair compensation’ for rightsholders, no such provision currently exists in the UK, resulting in a Judicial Review at the behest of UK Music, The Musicians Union and BASCA.
With the European Parliament’s Private Copying report (17.02.14) highlighting that there is currently no other alternative approach to compensation systems for private copying that would ensure appropriate remuneration for rights holders, this paper addresses European Parliament’s call for further discussion to be conducted in order to update the mechanisms and make them more effective.
Author Sam Rudy suggests that this new levy could provide urgently needed remuneration to rightsholders and proposes a solution which is innovative and accurately targets music that is most likely to be copied, and with those facilitating format shifting remunerating rightsholders in a way that is fair, proportionate and transparent.
Taking place within a new platform, Future Thinking, to profile outstanding postgraduate music business talent drawn from University of Westminster’s world-leading MA Music Business Management course, publication of this paper will be followed by a MusicTank debate, June 25th in central London.
Said Sally Gross, MA MBM Course Director, University of Westminster: “Extensively researched, this paper positions a timely and convincing argument that a private copy levy, even in these days of streaming, should still make up a substantial part of music industry finance.”
Said Keith Harris, Chair of MusicTank: “At a time when positions have become entrenched on the issue of remuneration for private copying, it is very useful to have a new approach to reaching a solution. If only as a way to kick-start further discussion, Sam Rudy’s admirable and well researched paper does exactly that.”
Submit news or a press release
Want to add your news or press release? Email Paul or Kevin
Two week FREE trial