News from ECSA: July 2024
![News from ECSA: July 2024](https://composeralliance.org/media/newsletter-banner/1278-news-classroom-banner.png)
Advocacy
Joint letter to MEPs on the impact of generative AI on the European creative community: prioritise consent, transparency and remuneration
![Joint letter to MEPs on the impact of generative AI on the European creative community: prioritise consent, transparency and remuneration Joint letter to MEPs on the impact of generative AI on the European creative community: prioritise consent, transparency and remuneration](media/block-image-large/1655-newsletter-format-image-20240723t142309.955.jpg)
On 23 July, 13 international and European organisations representing creators, authors’, artists, performers’ and creative workers, including ECSA, sent a message to all newly elected Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) on the impact of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the European creative community. AI represents an extraordinary technological advancement with immense potential to enhance various aspects of our lives, including in our sectors. However, generative AI models in existence today have been trained in secrecy on our members' works and personal data, without their consent and without remuneration. In sharp contrast to current practices, we firmly believe that authors and performers must be able to decide whether their works should be used by generative AI and, if they do so, be fairly remunerated. In our letter, we urge all MEPs to place consent, transparency and remuneration at the heart of their initiatives related to the use of AI in the cultural and creative sectors. More specifically, we ask MEPs to question the flaws and misinterpretation of the current EU Copyright framework (TDM exception) in relation to generative AI, and to ensure the AI Act is implemented in an effective way to preserve fundamental rights, promote the highest level of transparency, and enable authors and performers to exercise their rights. As a new EU policy cycle is about to start, we call for determined action by MEPs to engage in a comprehensive and democratic debate leading to a clear legal framework preserving the rights of creators and the integrity of their works.
How to protect authors rights in the age of AI? ECSA’s Anselm Kreuzer and Marc du Moulin on panel on AI and music at SoundTrack_Cologne
On 3 July, Anselm Kreuzer (Composers' Club President, ECSA Board Member), Marc du Moulin (Secretary General, ECSA), Katharina Uppenbrink (Managing Director, Initiative Urheberrecht) and Frank Jablonski (Greens Party of North Rhine-Westphalia) spoke in a panel about AI, music, and related policies at media music conference SoundTrack_Cologne in Cologne, Germany. Among other things, they touched upon AI’s rapid developments and the numerous questions it raises to music creators about how their rights can be protected when it comes to consent, credit, compensation and transparency. The recently adopted EU AI Act, its implementation, and the persisting questions around how it relates to existing copyright legislation and authors’ ability to reserve their rights were among the topics discussed. We thank SoundTrack_Cologne for another successful conference that brought together many media composers, policy makers, and other stakeholders.
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European Parliament’s committees elect their new Chair and Vice-Chairs
On Tuesday, 23 July, the European Parliament committees elected their Chairs and Vice-Chairs for a two-and-a-half year term. Chairs fulfill an important role, as they represent the committees, coordinate their work, and oversee legislative negotiations. Nela Riehl (Greens/EFA, Germany) has been elected as the new Chair of the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT), whereas Ilhan Kyuchyuk (Renew, Bulgaria) has been elected as Chair of the Committee on Legal Affairs, competent on intellectual property, including copyright. ECSA warmly congratulates all Chairs and Vice-Chairs on their election, and looks forward to working with them on advancing important issues in the music and cultural sectors.
ECSA President Helienne Lindvall speaks AI and collective management at Wallifornia Tech Conference
On 10 and 11 July, ECSA President Helienne Lindvall joined two panels at music and tech conference Wallifornia in Liège, Belgium. On 10 July, Helienne, alongside Priyanka Khimani (Khimani & Associates), Tom Frederikse (Clintons), Alexandre Louiset (IRCAM) and Thijs Verhulst (Music Tech Netherlands), covered the challenges of identifying AI-generated works, the implications for copyright and royalties, and the role of platforms and legal frameworks in safeguarding originality during the panel "Spotting the Synthetic: Unveiling AI-Generated Music". Moreover, on 11 July, Helienne participated in the panel "How Does a Collective Management Company Diversify and Develop New Businesses?". The panel, which also featured Neeta Ragoowansi (NPREX), Oliver Kruse (GEMA), Christophe Van Vaerenbergh (PlayRight) and Bertrand Polou (Sacem), explored how we can leverage collective management organisations' expertise for enhanced support for artists and creators. Many thanks to Wallifornia and all panelists for these fruitful exchanges and encounters!
MEPs call on EU AI Office to involve civil society in preparation of code of practice for AI providers
On 8 July, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) Brando Benifei (S&D, IT), Svenja Hahn (Renew, DE), Katerina Konečná (The Left, CZ), Sergey Lagodinsky (Greens, DE), Kim Van Sparrentak (Greens, NL), Axel Voss (EPP, DE), and Kosma Złotowski (ECR, PL) sent a letter to the newly-launched AI Office, the EU Commission’s arm in charge of implementing the AI Act. In the letter, they call for the inclusion of civil society in the preparation of a code of practice for providers of AI models. The MEPs raised concerns about the initial plan of the Commission to only involve AI providers in the drafting of the code, which could potentially allow them to set their own rules and jeopardise the effectiveness of the code. Stressing the AI Act’s requirement that the AI Office consults a broad range of stakeholders, they warned that allowing powerful companies to influence the code would go against EU objectives for AI development. The story was originally reported by POLITICO’s Morning Tech.
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European Commission announces call for participation in the drafting of AI Act Code of Practice and stakeholder consultation
On 30 July, the European Commission launched a call for expression of interest to participate in the drafting of a Code of Practice for general-purpose AI models. The call is open to AI providers, rightsholders, and industry organisations, as well as stakeholders from civil society, academia and independent experts. The drafting process will take place between September 2024 and April 2025, with the Code of Practice being presented in April 2025. Registrations are open until 25 August. In parallel, the EU legislator announced a multi-stakeholder consultation running from 30 July to 10 September. The results from this consultation will contribute to shaping a first draft of the Code of Practice, as well as inform the template for the summary of content used for the training of AI models.
Cultural activities
Camille Awards 2024: International Jury members revealed
![Camille Awards 2024: International Jury members revealed Camille Awards 2024: International Jury members revealed](media/block-image-large/1649-newsletter-format-image-20240722t124025.510.jpg)
We are honourerd to reveal this year's members of the Camille Awards’ International Jury, who will finally decide on who will win a Camille Award in our three categories. This year's jury will consist of five exceptional and renowned personalities in the film music business: Dirk Brossé, Maggie Rodford, Philippe Rombi, Manel Santisteban, and Stephen Warbeck. The winners of the Camille Awards will be announced at the Camille Awards ceremony on 13 November 2024 in Paris, France. Find more info on our jury members and on the Camille Awards below.
Film music celebrated and promoted at Apulia Soundtrack Awards
On 4 July, Apulia Soundtrack Awards kicked off its third edition in Carovigno, Puglia, Italy, providing a platform for film music seminars, master classes, and workshops. During the conference, Luis Ivars (ECSA Board member and composer), Andy Hill (Film Scoring Academy of Europe) and Denis Furne (Editions Musicales François 1er) gave the masterclass sessions “Storytelling and film score – Think more like a filmmaker” and “Scene-Reading for composers – Get to the heart of a scene", helping film composers in the early stages of their career to develop their skills as a composer while navigating through the film music business. Furthermore, on 6 July, the conference’s award ceremony took place, honoring composers in the categories Lifetime Achievement, Emerging Composer, International Composer of the Year, and Italian Composer of the Year. Find the full list of winners via SoundTrackFest below.
Reminder: open call for European film composers: Film Music Business mentoring course
Are you a film composer in the early stages of your career? Do you want to gain the knowledge and skills needed to navigate through the film music business? In the frame of the Camille Awards, ECSA partners up with OTICONS Film Music Composers Agency to organise the “Film Music Business Career Mentoring for European Film Composers”; a 2-day online mentoring course performed by George Christopoulos (Founder & CEO of Oticons) for one or two lucky winners. The course offers career advice and industry insights, to help the winner(s) carve a realistic, efficient and successful career path as film composer. Interested? Submissions are open until 25 August.
Members' news
ECSA Secretary General speaks at Forum de la Création Musicale’s General Assembly
On 1 July, Belgian ECSA member Forum de la Création Musicale organised its General Assembly, gathering its members at the Maison des Musiques in Brussels, Belgium. As part of the General Assembly, ECSA Secretary General Marc du Moulin held a presentation, speaking about ECSA’s main priorities in the coming years, including on artificial intelligence, music streaming, and unfair contractual practices. The event also featured a presentation from Olivier Maeterlinck (Head of Communication and Cultural Affairs, SABAM) and was followed by an open exchange with all participants. We warmly thank Forum de la Création Musicale for the invitation and look forward to continuing our strong collaboration.
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French ECSA member SNAC elects new President
At the General Assembly of French ECSA member Syndicat National des Auteurs et des Compositeurs (SNAC), which took place on 21 June, François Peyrony was elected as the new President of the organisation. Peyrony has been a composer for theater, cinema, and audiovisual in the broad sense for more than 30 years. Find the press release, as well as the full composition of SNAC’s new Board, via the link below (in French). Best of luck to SNAC’s new President and the full Board for the upcoming period!
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Norwegian ECSA member Norsk Komponistforening elects new Chairman
Last month, Norwegian ECSA member Norsk Komponistforening (Norwegian Society of Composers) announced that Knut Olaf Sunde was elected as its new Chairman, after Jørgen Karlstrøm has served for 8 years. We thank Jørgen for his work with ECSA and wish Knut Olaf Sunde all the best in his new role! Find the Norwegian Composers Association’s press release (in Norwegian) below.
Other news
ECSA President talks songwriting in Terribly Famous podcast
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Earlier this month, ECSA President Helienne Lindvall joined hosts Anna Leong Brophy and Emily Lloyd-Saini on their podcast “Terribly Famous”. In this episode, Anna, Emily and Helienne talk about Ed Sheeran’s ability to write hits. Moreover, Helienne speaks about the world of songwriting, from Nashville writing camps to the ‘tiny difference’ between a song that flops and one that flies.