Music creators celebrate EU Copyright Directive victory
Creators from around the world celebrate the adoption of the Copyright Directive in Europe. The following are quotes from creators and CIAM Executive Committee members in response to the achievement:
Australian songwriter Brendan Gallagher: "A great day for the notion of fair remuneration for creators - you can’t eat applause, you can’t pay your rent with a smile, and you can’t talk to the tax man about poetry (with apologies to Billy Bragg)."
Swedish composer and ECSA President Alfons Karabuda: "On behalf of the music authors community, let me first thank all the Members of the European Parliament who sent today a strong and positive signal to future generations who want to write, compose, create and be fairly remunerated for their creations. It was said to be the once in a generation reform, and the European Parliament can be proud of its historic vote. We now stand ready to contribute to an ambitious implementation of the Directive in all EU Members States so that it can honor its promises and improve the livelihoods of all music authors in the EU."
Brazilian songwriter Juca Novaes: "A vitória em Strasbourg não é apenas dos criadores europeus, mas sim dos autores de todo o mundo. Daqui do Brasil, da América Latina, vislumbramos esse histórico momento como a mais promissora visão do futuro, no qual os criadores de música de todo o mundo serão remunerados de forma justa por suas criações."
"The victory in Strasbourg is not only for European creators, but for authors all over the world. From here in Brazil, from Latin America, we glimpse at this historic moment as the most promising vision of the future, in which music creators around the world will be paid fairly for their creations."
Italian composer and CIAM Honourary President Lorenzo Ferrero: "L’Europa ha ritrovato la sua voce sul tema che l’unisce di più: la cultura."
"Europe has rediscovered its voice on the theme that unites it the most: culture."
Dutch musician, songwriter & composer Arriën Molema: “Dit is een grote stap in de erkenning van creativiteit als drijfveer van Europa! Laten we vooral doorgaan met mensen met elkaar te verbinden door kunst en creativiteit, in plaats van tegen elkaar op te zetten zoals we de laatste tijd veel hebben gezien.“
“This is a big move forward in the recognition of creativity as an impulse for Europe! Let’s proceed with uniting people with art and creativity, instead of the division we’ve seen so far.”
Croatian composer, producer and conductor Antun Tomislav Šaban: "Ova će Direktiva u nadolazećim desetljećima osigurati egzistenciju kreativaca u Europi te učvrstiti kulturni sektor kao jedan od temeljnih zajedničkih vrijednosti."
"This Directive will provide existence to the creative workers in Europe in the decades to come and it will also reinforce the cultural sector as one of the cornerstones of our common values."
German composer, lyricist, arranger and producer Jörg Evers: "Endlich hat das Europäische Parlament klargestellt, dass diejenigen, die auf ihren Plattformen den Zugang zu Werken der Kreativen ermöglichen und damit unermesslich viel Geld machen, entsprechende Lizenzen erwerben müssen."
"Finally the European Parliament has unmistakably clarified, that those who are facilitating the access to works of creators on their platforms and thus making an immense amount of money with it, are obliged to obtain the corresponding licenses."
Performer, writer, producer and Music Creators North America (MCNA) Co-Chair Marvin Dolgay: "All Creators worldwide owe a huge debt of gratitude to our colleagues and CIAM and ECSA for their years of tireless work and dedication to the passing of the Copyright Directive in the EU Parliament. Finally, we have legislation which acknowledges the value of our work and the responsibility of the giant tech industry to be transparent and accountable for its use. This Directive will now serve as a template and precedent for the rest of the world."
Spanish composer, lyricist and writer Iván García-Pelayo Alvarado: “La Directiva es esencial para el progreso de la creación autoral, que recibirá una compensación proporcional por los contenidos que se ofrecen en las plataformas digitales. Los usuarios obtendrán mayor transparencia y seguridad jurídica, y se beneficiará el sector tecnológico, pues todos los operadores tendrán las mismas reglas en el mundo de los contenidos.”
“The Directive is essential for the progress of authorial creation, which will receive a proportional compensation for content that is offered on digital platforms. Users will obtain greater transparency and legal security, and the technological sector will benefit, since all operators will have the same rules in the world of content.”
American composer Alex Shapiro: "The European Parliament has wisely voted to end the shameful laws that gave the digital tech industry "safe harbor" while throwing the careers of artists and journalists into a lethal rip-tide. This precedent-setting decision means that creators— the greatest advocates of the internet, and the source of its most desired content— will finally be given the same rights as any other property holder. Now it’s time for the United States to follow the EU lead!”
Cabo Verdean songwriter Solange Cesarovna: “Esta histórica aprovação é o início de uma Nova Era e sem dúvida alguma, devolve aos autores a esperaça e o estímulo para o continuo trabalho em prol de um mundo Belo e Único, que só a arte, e a cultura conseguem sustentar! As portas se abriram assim, para que a mudança de paradigma jurídico com impacto nos legisladores no mundo todo, crie uma nova realidede que trará resultados mais justos e merecidos desde o Continente Europeu ao Continente Africano. Viva o Direito do Autor!”
“This historic approval is the beginning of a New Age, and without a doubt, it gives the authors hope and encouragement for their continued work for a beautiful and unique world, which only art and culture can sustain! The doors have opened thus, so that the change of legal paradigm that has an impact on legislators around the world will create a new reality that will bring more just and deserved results from the European continent to the African continent. Long live copyright!”
Cameroon songwriter and PACSA President Sam Mbende: "La directive européenne est une avancée majeure pour assurer une rétribution juste et équitable pour les créateurs du monde entier. L'Europe vient d'envoyer un signal fort au reste du monde, notamment à l'Afrique, qui devrait suivre cet exemple afin que les créateurs du monde entier parlent d'une seule et même voix. Restons vigilants et mobilisés."
"The EU Copyright Directive represents a major step forward to ensure fair remuneration for creators all over the world. Europe has just sent a strong message to the rest of the world, Africa in particular, which should follow suit to be certain all the world's creators speak with one voice. We must remain mobilised and vigilant."
Japanese composer and APMA Chairman Shunichi Tokura:
皆様
この偉大なる業績に心からお祝い申し上げます。
欧州議会の皆さま、またこれを実現するのに努力されたCISAC, CIAM、ECSAの皆さまのご苦労に心から
お礼を申し上げます。 これから我々も頑張ります！
都倉俊一
JASRAC特別顧問
APMA委員長
Dear All,
I here celebrate and pay respect to this great achievement.
Our thanks to the members of the European Parliament, and all our fellow creators and colleagues from CISAC, CIAM, ECSA,
and to all who worked so hard to make this happen.
Now we have work to do at our end!
Shun Tokura,
Special advisor JASRAC
Chairman APMA
French composer and producer Wally Badarou: "En 2014, lors des étapes préliminaires, le droit d’auteur était perçu comme le principal obstacle à la croissance européenne, et le projet de directive était lancé dans l’idée de le dompter et de le rendre compatible à l’ère du numérique. Que nous ayions réussi, étape par étape, semaine après semaine, désillusions après défections, à faire de la directive l’un de nos meilleurs espoirs pour le tant attendu partage équitable de la valeur tenait déjà d’un étonnant renversement. Que cette directive ait finalement réussi à triompher malgré la gigantesque campagne fallacieuse menée par les Gafa tient simplement du miracle, immense et encore fragile tout à la fois, un vibrant rappel que le droit d’auteur est un combat à ne jamais abandonner. Bravo."
"Back in 2014, at the preliminary stages, authors right was perceived as the main obstacle to the european growth, and the directive was initiated with the goal to tame it and make it digital era compatible. That we managed, step by step, week after week, disillusions after defections, to turn the directive into our best hope for the long overdue fairness in value-sharing was already an astonishing overturn. That this directive managed to prevail despite the fallacious campaign of gigantic magnitude the tech giants have run against us is a miracle, huge and fragile still all at the same time, a vibrant reminder that authors right is a fight never to be given up. Cheers.”