ZAGREB, 11 Sept, 2021 - International associations of music publishers and independent publishing companies have called on members of the Croatian Parliament not to adopt the Copyright and Related Rights Bill because it will destroy the Croatian music industry.
They sent a letter to MPs saying that the adoption of the final bill, which is soon to receive its second reading in Parliament, would seriously harm the development of the Croatian music market as well as Croatian and European music performers, the Croatian Phonographic Association and the Association for the Protection, Collection and Distribution of Phonogram Producers' Rights said in a press release on Saturday.
The letter said that the bill would prevent future investment in music production and artists, as well as innovation in the music industry. The disputed articles do not respect the principle of contractual freedom and are an example of harmful intervention in the digital music market, regardless of the fact that there is no proof that this market is not functioning, it added.
If the present bill is adopted, it will affect the revenues, risk and viability of the music industry, and it would also affect new artists and the values of Croatian music. Introduction of any form of the mandatory collective exercise of artists' rights is a direct violation of the EU Copyright Directive and international copyright laws and would prevent artists from choosing the way of using and licensing their rights, said Helen Smith, executive chair at IMPALA, the European association of independent music companies that represents over 5,000 companies.
The present bill to implement the Copyright Directive on the digital single market will prevent the effective functioning of the Croatian music market and future investment and innovation in our industry. Yesterday, organisations from across the music industry sent a request to the Croatian Parliament to urgently amend this proposal and ensure a future for the Croatian music sector, said Frances Moore, chief executive at the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, which has over 8,000 members in 70 countries.
The letter clearly shows that we are not alone in our claims that the bill is not only unconstitutional and contrary to the EU Directive, but that is also contrary to publishers' practice in developed market-economy countries. Instead of regulating fair market relations and preventing monopolies certain associations would have in the event of its adoption, this proposal will only put us back, Maja Vidmar Klarić said on behalf of the Croatian Phonographic Association.
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