Wikstrom (FP): Easier to license music rights across European borders

Release: Immediate

Strasbourg, 4th February 2014

Easier to license music rights across European borders

It will be now be easier for online services, such as Spotify, to acquire music rights across EU borders. The new directive, passed by the European Parliament in Strasbourg today, will not only help online music services which offering their services in several member states, but also strengthen the rights of individual right holders by clarifying their rights vis-à-vis collecting management organisations.

The directive also introduces clear requirements for transparency, and good governance of the collective management organisations.

Cecilia Wikström (Folkpartiet, Sweden) who was the ALDE Group´s representative in the negotiations in the legal affairs committee, said:

“The new directive clearly strengthens both the individual composers´ and performers´ rights, while at the same time helping online music service providers to offer their services throughout the European Union. Instead of negotiating licenses with copyright agencies in 28 European Union member states, companies will only have to negotiate with three or four counterparts”,

For background information see:

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/ficheprocedure.do?lang=en&reference=2012%2f0180(COD)