Endeavors to launch digital music download services in the European Union are hampered by the current copyright process.
If an artist wants to copyright a song for Internet transmittal rights in Europe, the process requires applications to each of 25 countries involved. That’s a lengthy, expensive, complicated process few wish to undertake.
The numbers provide evidence that this is the case. European online music revenues didn’t crack $33 million USD, while sales in the US rang up around $248 million.
Musicians earn money by licensing their songs. But the barrier to entry in the EU has proven to be as problem. The EU wants to address this by creating a single copyright licensing agency that would cover rights in all of its member nations.
“Central clearance is not about making content available on the cheap. It offers a model whereby Europe’s creative community will get the lion’s share in revenues achieved online,” said EU Internal Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy.
With more content licensed, more music would be available for purchase. In turn, the EU would collect tax on the sale of each song. The EU sees that single-copyright source model as one that would save money and increase efficiency overall.
The Commission said in a statement: “(T)he most effective model for achieving this is to enable right-holders to authorize a collecting society of their choice to manage their works across the entire EU.”
“This would create a competitive environment for cross-border management of copyright and considerably enhance right-holders’ earning potential.”
In a study on copyright and licensing within the EU, the researchers put forth the opinion that music has “unique potential as a driver for online content services.”
David Utter is a staff writer for Murdok covering technology and business. Email him here.
