UK Music welcomes Richard Hooper’s Report

‘Copyright Works’ by Richard Hooper CBE and Dr Ros Lynch recommends measures aimed at streamlining copyright licensing in the digital age.

The primary proposal is the creation of a ‘Copyright Hub’ that would link existing private and public sector rights registries and other copyright-related databases.

The hub would support the two music industry database projects: the Global Repertoire Database and the Global Recording Database.

The hub would support the two music industry database projects: the Global Repertoire Database and the Global Recording Database. “The two GRDs will be exemplars for others to learn from and follow” Hooper says.

UK Music agreed that the industry will also provide the Secretary of State at BIS with an annual progress report. Hooper said he hoped: “other industry sectors do the same.”

The front-footedness of the British music industry has been rightly recognised in Richard’s report. Our industry has shown great leadership in enabling the digital market place.

But there is work to be done and UK Music has tasked itself to give the Secretary of State an annual update on the proposals. It is very important that we work together to maintain the momentum this process has created.

We look forward to hearing Government’s response to specific proposals.

We both welcome and support Richard Hooper's findings and will work with our partners in the industry to meet the challenges he identifies, providing a better licensing environment for all. Looking ahead, we believe that the Copyright Hub recommended by Hooper could place Britain at the very centre of the global, online market for the creative industries. Coupled with industry efforts for a Global Repertoire Database (GRD), it will prove to be a critical building block in what must inevitably be an international project.

In their very sensible report Richard Hooper and Dr. Ros Lynch have understood the importance of robust data to support licensing in the digital age and the efforts that PPL, and its record company and performer members, have made on this front. Even though there is more to be done they have helpfully suggested building on such work to make both direct and collective licensing solutions even more compelling to businesses. PPL has also committed to continue to develop its licensing services and will collaborate with the wider music industry to achieve this. We are delighted that the progress the music industry has been making in delivering licensing models has been recognised, particularly at a time after the opening ceremony of the Olympics last Friday which demonstrated on a global stage the cultural value and commercial importance of music to the UK.

For further information, please contact Dorothy Levine on 020 7306 4447 or email Dorothy.levine@ukmusic.org

UK Music is an umbrella body representing the collective interests of the UK’s commercial music industry - from songwriters and composers, artists and musicians, to studio producers, music managers, music publishers, major and independent record labels, music licensing companies and the live music sector.

UK Music exists to represent the UK’s commercial music sector in order to help drive economic growth and to promote the benefits of music on British society.

UK Music’s membership comprises of:

• AIM – Association of Independent Music - representing over 850 small and medium sized independent music companies
• BASCA - British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors – with over 2,000 members BASCA is the professional association for music writers and exists to support and protect the artistic, professional, commercial and copyright interests of songwriters, lyricists and composers of all genres of music and to celebrate and encourage excellence in British music writing
• The BPI representing over 440 record company members
• MMF - Music Managers Forum - representing 425 managers throughout the music industry
• MPG - Music Producers Guild - representing and promoting the interests of all those involved in the production of recorded music – including producers, engineers, mixers, re-mixers, programmers and mastering engineers
• MPA - Music Publishers Association - with 260 major and independent music publishers in membership, representing close to 4,000 catalogues across all genres of music
• Musicians’ Union representing 30,000 musicians
• PPL is the music licensing company which, on behalf of 50,000 performers and 6,500 record companies, licences the use of recorded music in the UK
• PRS for Music is responsible for the collective licensing of rights in the musical works of 85,000 composers, songwriters and publishers and an international repertoire of 10 million songs
• UK Live Music Group, representing the main trade associations and representative bodies of the live music sector