news
The European Composer & Songwriter Alliance (ECSA) welcomes the decision of the Swedish Court in the trial of the founders of Pirate Bay. ECSA believes that the verdict sends out a strong message the facilitation of file sharing on such a scale is a criminal act that threatens the livelihoods of the music writers that ECSA represents.
Whilst ECSA accepts that suing individual consumers is not a desirable or viable solution to the problem of illegal file sharing any solution must be based upon a firm foundation of rights that can be enforced against such industrial infringers.
ECSA further believes that the decision opens the way for the myriad of legal online music offerings as it reduces the level to which they have to attempt to compete with that which is illegal. In order to facilitate this ECSA trusts that the EU Commission will listen to the European Collecting Societies and will do all it can to help to create a system of licensing in Europe that will benefit both users and rights owners. Without such a system it is hard to see how legal offerings will be able to establish themselves.
ECSA looks to other European states to maintain the integrity of the copyright system which underlies the creativity of music writers and awaits with interest the outcome of further debate in France on the proposed Creation and Internet law.
ECSA welcomes the decision of the EU Legal Affairs Committee to approve legislation extending the term of copyright for sound recordings. ECSA believes that this decision demonstrates the committee’s recognition of the value of the work of all creators of music and trusts they will continue to support the system of copyright which provides protection and allows creators to benefit from their creative efforts.
BRUSSELS, 3rd JULY 2008 – Benny Anderson, Charles Aznavour, Pedro Almodovar, James Blunt, Miguel Bose, Patrick Doyle, Bryan Ferry, Robin Gibb, David Gilmour , Julio Iglesias, Maurice Jarre, Mark Knopfler, Michel Legrand, Paco de Lucia, Sir Paul McCartney, Enio Morricone, Nicoal Piovani, Sade, Alejandro Sanz, Caetano Veloso, Gabriel Yared are among the numerous artists and creators who recently appealed to the European Commission President José Manuel Barroso to express their deep concerns about a possible unfavourable decision on pan-European licensing of music.
In a meeting with the cabinet of EC President Barroso (on July 3rd at 9:00am) and in a public declaration read today at a press conference (July 3rd at 10:30am), Robin Gibb, Patrick Doyle, Laurent Petitgirard and David Ferguson – on behalf of the European Composer and Songwriter Alliance (ECSA) and the entire creative community – reiterated their call to EC President:
The “Levai-Report”, released in March 2007, has been approved by the EU Parliament. The report demands a revision on the EU Commission’s recommendation on collective cross-border management. ECSA supported this decision addressing to all EU Parliament members.
One voice for European composers and songwriters set up in Madrid. The European Composer & Songwriter Alliance (ECSA) was launched on Wednesday 7th March at the Theatro Circo Price in Madrid, where 23 countries and 35 organisations came together from all over Europe to form a single voice for European Composers and Songwriters.
The Member countries of ECSA are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and of course the United Kingdom.
our mission
Having regard to the purpose of ensuring effective protection of music authors at the highest level before the European Institutions (Commission, Council, Parliament and Economic and Social Committee) and before international institutions such as WIPO, Council of Europe, WTO and UNESCO;
Having regard to the importance of a good cooperation with the European and international institutions in charge of the drafting and implementation of European and international legislation concerning music authors rights.
ECSA is the lobbyist organisation speaking with ONE VOICE in the name of all European composers and songwriters and is formed by the three main genre specific networks of the composers in Europe:
APCOE - Alliance of Popular Music Composers of Europe
ECF - European Composers' Forum
(The Association of Art & Classical Music Composers in Europe)
FFACE - Federation of Film & Audiovisual Composers of Europe