Collective Rights Management Directive

The European Union is promising its citizens better access to online music thanks to a new directive focusing on “the collective management of copyright and related rights and multi-territorial licensing of rights in musical works for online use in the internal market” (the Directive). The Directive, which was adopted by the European Council on 20 February, aims to simplify and facilitate cross-border music licensing for online service providers. This is good news for Irish consumers who are typically kept waiting for innovative new music streaming services to hit Irish shores. Irish artists will also benefit from quicker, more transparent payments of performing rights royalties.

The Directive has two principle aims:

To facilitate cross-border licensing of authors’ rights in online music; and

To make copyright collective management organisations (CMOs) (also known as collecting societies) more transparent and effective.Continue Reading EU Overhaul of Collective Rights Management for Online Music