the government is considering changes to how foreign
record labels and foreign recording artists qualify for rights to
be paid when their music is broadcast or played in
public
broadcasting and public playing of music generated
revenues of over £188 million in the UK in 2022
IPO
consultation proposes different options for amending the law and
seeks views from those who could be affected
The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has launched a
consultation on potential
changes to copyright law.
UK copyright law gives performers (such as musicians) and
copyright owners (such as record labels) the right to be paid
when their sound recordings are broadcast or played in public in
the UK.
Not every country provides similar rights. This means that UK
performers and UK copyright owners are not always paid when their
music is broadcast or played in public in other countries.
Almost all foreign copyright owners qualify for this right to be
paid in the UK, regardless of whether the other country provides
similar rights to UK nationals. But foreign performers are
treated differently to foreign copyright owners. Foreign
performers only qualify for this right in the UK if they are from
a country that provides similar rights to UK nationals.
The consultation considers changes to how UK law provides these
rights to foreign copyright owners and foreign performers.
Several options are under consideration.
The IPO wants
to hear from anyone who may be affected by a change to the law.
This includes recording artists, record labels, collecting
societies, broadcasters, and public venues that play music.
The consultation will close on 11 March 2024. The government will
consider responses and publish its response, including its
proposed approach, in due course afterwards.
The IPO’s Chief
Executive Adam Williams said:
This consultation is focused on an important and complex issue,
and it’s crucial that we gather a range of evidence and views. We
strongly urge anyone with an interest in this topic to have their
say and respond to the consultation by 11 March 2024.
More information on the consultation and how to respond is
available on our consultation web page.
Notes to editors:
- this consultation is only about remuneration from
broadcasting, or from the public playing of sound recordings.
Examples of these would include AM/FM and DAB radio, or when
recorded music is played in a nightclub or gym. It is not about
on-demand streaming of music (such as when recorded music is
streamed through Spotify or Apple Music)
- the options under consideration are set out on the
consultation web page
- the broadcasting and public playing revenue figure reported
is from PPL, the UK body
that licenses recorded music in the UK on behalf of record labels
and recording artists
