Joint press release: Performers and audiovisual authors unite calling for unwaivable remuneration right for on-demand exploitation in the Copyright Directive

Marc Joulaud (EPP), Mary Honeyball (S&D) and Helga Trüpel (Greens/EFA), to highlight the realities and needs of performers and audiovisual authors in the Digital Single Market.

Performers and audiovisual authors are at the heart of the creative process. Yet, the vast majority of them are not fairly remunerated when their works are used via on-demand services such as iTunes, Netflix and Spotify due to mainstream contractual practices.

The new EU Copyright Directive presents a unique opportunity to make it right and guarantee performers and audiovisual authors a fair remuneration for their contribution to the ever-growing on-demand market wherever in the EU.  

Transparency obligations are important and part of achieving a fairer environment for authors and performers. However, this alone will not guarantee that a fair share of the value also ends up in the pockets of performers and audiovisual authors. Therefore AEPO-ARTIS, FERA, FIA, FIM, FSE, IAO and SAA call upon Members of the European Parliament to introduce an unwaivable right to equitable remuneration for on demand use, paid by on-demand platforms and subject to collective management. It is a simple but effective mechanism which will allow performers and audiovisual authors to take part in the success of the Digital Single Market. And, most of all, it is a fair and a much overdue acknowledgement of their role in the creative industries and societies.

Quotes by performers and authors 

Julie Bertuccelli, Director (France) said: “It is a true pleasure as a director to see my films being shown around the world. However, in order to make a living from my art, my collective management society must be able to represent my rights and negotiate equitable remuneration with those exploiting my works, including video-on-demand platforms”.

Murray Head, Musician and Actor (UK) said, “If on demand platforms earn money then so should the musicians, singers, actors and audiovisual authors. Yet we still see that performers and audiovisual authors find it difficult to make a decent living from their work. The law failed to sufficiently protect us”.

Quotes by hosting MEPs

Marc Joulaud (EPP) said, “Creative content has the power to unite us, to teach and transmit values and to enrich our lives. I have always said that artists cannot be paid a pittance for their work. If culture is high on the EU’s political agenda, then REAL measures are needed to support the livelihoods of all performers and audiovisual authors in Europe”.

Mary Honeyball (S&D) said, “as politicians it is time to turn our sympathy for Europe’s performers and audiovisual authors into concrete actions. The upcoming vote on the review of the EU Copyright Directive in the Legal Affairs committee will hopefully support giving a brighter future to hundreds of thousands of performers and audiovisual authors”.

Helga Trüpel (Greens/EFA) said, “From a legislative point of view, the upcoming vote is a pivotal moment for culture, and the performers and audiovisual authors that help define it. I am fully supportive of introducing an unwaivable remuneration right which has already been supported by the European Parliament’s Culture committee in its opinion adopted in July 2017”.

Notes to Editors

Press

Annica Ryngbeck, a.ryngbeck@saa-authors.eu +32 475 66 95 94

Nicole Schulze, nicole.schulze@aepo-artis.org +32 487 25 09 51

About the organisers

AEPO-ARTIS - the Association of European Performers’ Organisations represents 36 European performers’ collective management organisations from 26 countries, 23 of which are established in the Member States of the European Union. @aepoartis

FERA - Founded in 1980, the Federation of European Film Directors gathers 36 directors associations as members from 27 countries. It speaks for more than 20,000 European film and TV directors, representing their cultural, creative and economic interests at national and EU level. FERA EU Transparency Register Id No. 29280842236-21. @Film_directors

FIA – the International Federation of Actors is an international non-governmental organisation representing more than 85 performers’ trade unions, guilds and associations around the world. @FIA_actors

FIM – the International Federation of Musicians and International Artists Organisation is an international non-governmental organisation representing musicians’ trade unions, guilds and associations in about 70 countries covering all regions of the world, which enables it to speak for hundreds of thousands of musicians. @fim_musicians

FSE - The Federation of Screenwriters in Europe is a network of national and regional associations, guilds and unions of writers for the screen in Europe, created in June 2001. It comprises 25 members from 20 countries, representing more than 7,000 writers in Europe. @ScreenwritersEU

IAO - the International Artists Organisations is an international, non-governmental organisation representing featured musicians’ guilds and associations. It was officially founded in 2015 by its six founder-members: UK, France, Spain, Germany, Norway and (Belgium.  @iao_music

SAA - Founded in 2010, the Society of Audiovisual Authors is the association of European collective management organisations representing audiovisual authors. Its 32 members in 24 countries manage rights for over 138,000 film, television and multimedia European screenwriters and directors. @saabrussels