Showing posts with label IFPI. Show all posts
Showing posts with label IFPI. Show all posts

1/9/09

EU Public Affairs Monitor - 09/01/09

Debates on creativity
"Throughout EYIC2009 six debates on key topics around Creativity and Innovation will be held in cooperation with the European Policy Centre (EPC), special partner of the Year. The debates are designed to provide a platform for reflection and exchange of ideas which can contribute to policy discussion on Creativity and Innovation.

In each debate, high level speakers will introduce their views and experience in Creativity and Innovation. The debates will take place in Brussels and will cover the following issues:
* Cultural diversity as basis for Creativity and Innovation
Debate organised to explore Europe’s potential for C&I through multiculturalism.
* Creativity and Innovation in the public sector
Debate focused on innovation in the public sector through integration of technologies and innovation of processes, in particular in the fields of health, education and social services.
* Education for creativity and innovation
Debate on the importance of education for developing creative, innovative and entrepreneurial societies.
* Creativity and Innovation and the knowledge society
Debate on how the free movement of knowledge can both inspire creativity and innovation in Europe and contribute to an important modernisation of Europe in light of economic and social challenges.
* Creativity and Innovation and sustainable development
Debate on eco-innovation with particular attention to climate change, security of energy supply and the issue of innovation and job-creation.
* Creative arts and Industries
Debate about the role of creative arts in industrial design and development." [Create]

Creativity versus crisis: European Year of Creativity and Innovation
"Encouraging people to be as creative and innovative as possible in education, employment and cultural activities are three main aims of the European Year of Creativity and Innovation launched Wednesday. The aim is to innovate in areas such as the economy but also social and individual well-being.

Other objectives for this year include creativity and innovation in transport policy, the environment, research and the information society. There will be promotion campaigns, events and initiatives at European, national, regional and local levels. Supporters are hoping it will help the so called "Lisbon Agenda" launched in 2001 which aims to make the EU "the most competitive knowledge-based economy" in the world by 2010." [Europa]

HARDtalk interview broadcast
Stephen Sackur speaks to the CEO of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, John Kennedy. These are tough times for the traditional record companies.
Sales of CDs are falling, the battle against online piracy shows no signs of abating and established artists are working more independently.

John Kennedy is the CEO of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.
Is the new digital era good for artists, fans and the music industry, or is it a disaster in the making? He represents the international recording industry worldwide and is fighting for its survival. [BBC]

Cable operators first ISPs to respond
"After a decade of RIAA-bashing by very vocal advocates who essentially believe that music should be shared freely over the Internet – or, at least, that music copyright holders should not enforce rights in court – it comes as no real surprise that U.S. Internet services providers that agreed recently to help stem peer-to-peer piracy want their names and the terms held in confidence. Lips of the parties -- and possible parties -- to the ‘graduated response’ deals involving illegal file sharers, brokered by New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, are tighter than usual.

While it would seem logical that telecoms such as Verizon and AT&T, which benefit from their legitimate music offerings, would be leading the way in the initiative, such is not the case.

A Music Confidential investigation indicates that cable operators were the first of the “several leading ISPs” to seal the deals. The cable operators’ trade group, the National Cable & Telecommunications Assn. (NCTA), was right in the midst of it all. And Cuomo doesn’t intend to limit his appeal to those ISPs within New York." [MusicConfidential]

Pay backs for ringbacks
"After several years of uncertainty in Germany over who controls the right to license compositions for ringtones, the highest court in the country issued a ruling just before Christmas. The result is raising even more questions as ringtone providers, publishers and German collecting society GEMA try to figure out who is entitled to the millions of Euros at stake. Aside from the legal and monetary implications, the case serves as an alert to rights holders reminding them of the importance of reading society membership agreements closely, especially as they relate to ‘new ‘ technologies.

Germany is the only country where courts have recognized that a ringtone is an ‘adaptation’ of a recorded composition under copyright law. This triggers the right of writers and publishers to collect fees from users for engaging in three activities: the reproduction (aka the mechanical reproduction), the performance and the adaptation. GEMA had been licensing the mechanical and performance rights for ringtones, while many publishers were licensing separately – and directly to providers – the adaptation right. As a result, ringtone providers were obtaining a license from GEMA and licenses from many individual publishers – and paying both."[MusicConfidential]

11/3/08

Music News Bulletin - 03/11/08

Digital sales boost trade delivery figures
"A 45% increase in digital sales has helped slow the decline in the UK music market to just 4% in the first half of the year.

New interim trade delivery figures from the IFPI show that of the top five music territories, the UK was the best performer digitally with sales worth $115.8m (£74.52m) already (they stood at $169.5m [£109.02m] at the end of 2007).

Thus, although physical sales slumped 10% - the UK and US markets combined accounted for a 60% loss of physical sales globally - in the same period, the digital growth prevented a total collapse." [MusicWeek]

Labels and Risk Avoidance
"At Musexpo an A&R panel decried the lack of good albums being brought to market. "We don’t make enough good records," declared Epic Records managing director. Well, if major labels release fewer albums compared to ten years ago -- which is the result of smaller staffs and lower revenues -- it stands to reason there are going to be fewer good albums released." [Coolfer]

Executives discuss industry's A&R failings at Musexpo
"A number of leading A&R men gave the music industry both barrels, as part of the Musexpo Global A&R Forum.

A strong line up of 20 – 20 president Martin Dodd, Wall of Sound founder Mark Jones, Atlantic president Max Lousada, 14th Floor Recordings CEO Christian Tattersfield, Epic Records managing director Nick Raphael and, in his first public appearance in his new role, EMI UK and America president of A&R Nick Gatfield, participated in the debate, which looked at issues such as the attributes they look for in a new artist and the 360 model." [MusicWeek]

Protecting New Releases While Monetizing a Catalog

"More thoughts on the Datz Music Lounge and how labels are now taking a different approach to selling music. Unlike mobile subscriptions that wrap up files in DRM, the Datz service offers one year of unlimited access to unprotected MP3 files for a £99.99." [Coolfer] [Billboard]

8/24/08

EU Public Affairs Monitor - 24/08/08

IFPI: "Three strikes" efforts hit worldwide home run 19/08/08
"The music business doesn't actually enjoy suing its fans, nor does it like being the worldwide target of scorn, wrath, calumny, disdain, rancor, and ridicule (did I miss any?). No, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, or IFPI -- the global music recording trade group -- the industry would much rather solve the P2P file-sharing problem through ISP partnerships rather than lawsuits.

We reported yesterday on Jim Griffin's work with Warner to make a voluntary blanket music license a possibility by partnering with ISPs and college networks. That's the "carrot" approach, but the music business wants some effective "sticks," too, and IFPI now believes it has found a good one: graduated response, also known as "three strikes" rules, which are being trotted out of regulatory dugouts around the world." [ArsTechnica]

Small Business Administration Orphan Works Roundtable August 24, 2008
"The Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy held a roundtable on the economic impact on small business (every artist) of the orphan works legislation at the Salmagundi Club in Manhattan on August 8. A webcast is available. (The Salmagundi Club is a 137-year old institution to promote the visual arts, named after Washington Irving's Salmagundi Papers.)

The roundtable participants included a broad cross-section of the creative community all of whom objected to, and many outright opposed, the orphan works legislation." [MusicTechPolicy]