News

European Commission refers ACTA to Europe's highest court

Brussels, 22 February 2012 – The European Court of Justice, has been asked to determine the legality of the ACTA agreement, EU Trade Commissioner Karel de Gucht has announced. “We are planning to ask Europe's highest court to assess whether ACTA is incompatible — in any way — with the EU's fundamental rights and freedoms,” the Commissioner said in a statement. “ACTA will change nothing about how we use the internet and social websites today," he added, explaining that it does not introduce any new rules but helps to enforce what is already law today.

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ICMP Welcomes World Intellectual Property Organization Economic Impact Study

13 February 2012 - On 9 February, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) released the WIPO Studies on the Economic Contribution of the Copyright Industries. The comprehensive study details the contribution of creative industries in 30 countries across the globe.

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Universal’s Andrew Jenkins elected chair of International Confederation of Music Publishers

Brussels, 1 February 2012 - Andrew Jenkins Executive Vice President, International for Universal Music Publishing Group has been elected as chair of ICMP, the world trade association representing the interests of the music publishing community internationally. His unanimous appointment follows elections to the board held during the ICMP Annual General Assembly in Cannes on 29 January and he will serve a two-year term starting with immediate effect.

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New ICMP Board and Bureau following General Assembly

Cannes, 30 January 2012 - ICMP held its Annual General Assembly (GA) in Cannes on January 29th in the presence of some 65 publishers with all of the Confederation’s 53 worldwide members represented. At the GA Nicolas Galibert (CSDEM, France), Stephen Navin (MPA UK), Ralph Peer II (NMPA, US), Catharine Saxberg (CMPA, Canada), Hajime Taniguchi (MPAJ, Japan), Chris Butler (MPA UK), Paolo Franchini (FEM, Italy), Lauren Keiser (MPA US), Pekka Sipilä (FMPA, Finland), Heinz Stroh (DMV, Germany), Neil Gaffney (EMI Music Publishing), Guy Henderson

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Statement from ICMP on the Global Repertoire Database

29 January 2012 - There is an urgent and commercial imperative for rightsholders to build a Global Repertoire Database (GRD) for their writers; ICMP publisher members commit therefore to building a GRD and to populating it with their repertoire. Furthermore ICMP sees the need for a single authoritative database with accurate and transparent information on music author’s rights as one of the essential tools for the growth of Digital Europe.

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Digital Music Goes Global In 2011 While Actions On Piracy Gain Momentum

23 January 2012

Major international music services now in 58 countries, up from 23 in January 2011

Digital music revenues up 8 per cent to US$5.2 billion

Anti-piracy action makes an impact in France, New Zealand. US to follow in 2012

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White House official response to SOPA and PIPA

16 January 2012 - On 14 January, the White House officially responded to the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and PROTECT IP Act (PIPA). Both acts are designed to crack down on foreign-based rogue websites. The Obama Administration’s statement made clear that the White House will not support legislation that disrupts the open standards of the Internet.

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Spain’s government adopts anti-piracy law

9 January 2012 - The Spanish government has approved new legislation aimed at blocking websites trading in pirated material. Under the Sinde Law, named after the former Spanish Culture Minister Angeles Gonzalez-Sinde, rights holders can report websites hosting infringing content to the newly created intellectual property commission. The commission will decide whether it wants to take action and the case will then be passed to a judge to rule whether the site in question should be shut down. The aim is to complete the process within 10 days.

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NMPA backs SOPA Bill

7 December 2011 - In the debate on the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) legislation in the US, David Israelite, President and CEO of the National Music Publishers' Association (an ICMP member organisation) in a Billboard article, spoke out against rogue sites that “are lining their pockets with millions in ad revenues, and selling subscription fees for unlimited access to American-made content they have not paid for".

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International publishers back IPRS against High Court judgments, reports Sound box

7 December 2011 - The 25 July Bombay High Court judgment and the more recent Delhi High Court ruling against the Indian Performing Rights Society (IPRS) has provoked alarm among the international publishing community. Views from ICMP and other key opinion leaders are featured in the below Sound Box article from 28 November.

http://www.soundbox.co.in/global-support/

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