Advocating For the Fair Trade of Music
Music is an international language. It crosses boundaries and borders of all kinds. That principle should also be applied to how we respect and pay music creators for their work. Whether, or how, music creators are paid shouldn’t be based on their nationality. Yet, in too many places in the world, that’s exactly what happens. Countries such as the United Kingdom and France discriminate against music creators from countries that have different laws and practices when it comes to performance royalty rights, such as for terrestrial radio airplay. For example, American creators are denied more than $300 million in royalty payments a year—money that would surely benefit artists struggling to make a living.
This unfair treatment of music creators has to stop.
National Treatment of Music Creators
For 75 years a key principle in global trade has been that a nation should provide foreign entities the same benefits and protections as it would its own citizens. In music, that means whatever rights regime a country gives to creators, the principle of what is known as National Treatment should apply those rights to all, regardless of nationality. For too long several countries in Europe have ignored this principle and discriminated against foreign music creators based solely on their country of origin.
That is inherently wrong.
Music creators must stand together to end this unfair treatment.
There is a growing recognition that national treatment should be the global standard when it comes to music creators. The cause for fairness for music creators received a boost in 2020 when the European Court of Justice mandated that members of the European Union apply the principle of national treatment and treat music creators equally regardless of their nationality. Yet, even with that decision, countries such as France are resisting its implementation and seeking to undermine it. The principle of National Treatment must be upheld. Without it, the way artists of different nationalities are treated borders on the absurd. For example, because the United Kingdom doesn’t recognize national treatment, if a band has members from both the United Kingdom and United States, only the U.K. artists get paid directly from the U.K. collective when their music is played on U.K. radio.
What’s at Stake?
Unfair treatment of music creators based solely on their nationality costs them hundreds of millions of dollars in lost royalties every year. For American creators, that amounts to more than $300 million in global losses a year. Given the devastating impact the pandemic has had on the music community it’s more important than ever for artists and other music creators around the globe need to be paid for their work.
Discrimination of any kind must not be tolerated. All music creators, regardless of nationality, should receive fair compensation for their work.
Join the Campaign to Treat ALL Music Creators Fairly
A growing number of international organizations representing artists, musicians and managers have called on governments to treat ALL music creators fairly and equally. With the European Commission grappling with how to implement the European Court of Justice mandate and a potential U.S.-U.K. trade agreement looming, now is the time to add your voice by joining the petition that calls for governments across the globe to end discrimination against music creators and implement the principle of National Treatment.
With your help, we can achieve fair treatment for ALL music creators.