Brussels, 03/10/2006 (Agence Europe) - The International Confederation of Music Producers ICMP/CIEM held a conference in Brussels, this Tuesday 3 October, on the subject of music publishing in the 21st century. The music producers presented the very close links uniting authors and composers, whose interests they protect, and creativity, ensuring that consumers have the broadest possible access to different musical repertoires. The question of online music and the protection of copyright in this context was discussed. The new online distribution channels have an enormous potential to get music beyond national borders, but can also become a dangerous weapon in protecting artists' work. Online music offers artists and undreamed-of potential to conquer new audiences via, amongst other things, the development of new commercial openings such as ring tones for mobile telephones, said the Commissioner with responsibility for the Internal Market, Charlie McCreevy, who believes that it is vital to encourage, but also to create a framework for, new technologies: "transformation like this is underway, as policy makers we can do one of two things. We can make sure that the way is clear for new ideas to develop and thrive. Or, either by acting or not acting, we can ensure that they get nowhere. We need a framework for intellectual property which takes account of the new possibilities (...). We must promote and support innovation whilst avoiding competition distortions". Stressing that the current framework for music licensing, which is related to practices and traditions based on territories and not on current legal obstacles, makes no sense when online music effortlessly crosses borders, Mr McCreevy justified the idea of a single European licensing system, which was presented last year in a recommendation, by the urgent need to act fast in a sector which is developing rapidly. Delaying initiatives means missing opportunities, crippling the notion of choice for the consumer and losing the artists revenue; even worse, it gives the cyber pirates time to gain the upper hand, in the absence of adequate legal alternatives, he continued. The single licence stipulates that rights holders may allow a sole agent to grant licences and manage the use of their work throughout the whole of Europe. This system is also more transparent, has met with the approval of many copyright holders and seems already to be producing effects, despite the suspicion of some, Mr McCreevy acknowledged (other protagonists, including artists and members of the European Parliament, voiced their fears of the insidious disappearance of cultural diversity due to this system, at a hearing held by the European Parliament on 18 September, under the aegis of the EPP-ED group; see 9269 for more). "We cannot stop change. We now have music without a physical support. This means that the status quo is no longer possible; technology changes and influences the way in which music is distributed, whether we like this or not", Commissioner McCreevy told them. He feels that cultural diversity can also be guaranteed by online technologies, which offer artists, even the less well-known ones, a way of making themselves more popular. Charlie McCreevy announced that his services would, in the next six months, analyse the consequences which his recommendation has produced in concrete on the ground, and consult stakeholders.
The Commissioner with responsibility for the Information Society and the Media, Viviane Reding, who was also invited to take the floor, spoke of the convergence of audiovisual media, new opportunities to broadcast content and the need for various sectors which previously worked autonomously to collaborate, in an environment which is changing rapidly and permanently. The online market, which represents a current value in the region of a billion euros, is set to more than double by 2009, and online music is a driving force behind this development, she stressed. The technology is in place and must be used to serve the development of content, she added. In this context, the Commission has recently, as part of the "i2010" strategy, undertaken a new project, which is the creation of a European Digital library, which will also cover music. "Our aim is to open up the heritage and to make it usable on the Internet, while taking account of linguistic diversity", she said. The Commissioner also welcomed the initiative taken by the Austrian Presidency to organise a conference on role of creative content in the promotion of knowledge in Europe, an initiative which is continuing under the Finnish Presidency. Among the actions supported by the Commission, Ms Reding also spoke of the European online cinema charter, which was signed in Cannes on 23 May, and which lists the elements which are vital to the development of online cinema, and which shows the collaboration between the world of culture and those involved in online services (see EUROPE 9198). The Commissioner also referred to the public consultation launched on 28 July to stimulate a single market for online content. "The artists must be able to reap the fruit of their talent. We must establish tools, game rules to benefit all", she said. Lastly, the Commission has commissioned a study on interactive content and convergence, which will give an overview of the obstacles which may prevent the distribution of content in a digital form over the next five years, she concluded. (il)