News from ECSA: August 2026
Advocacy
© GEMA Munich Regional Court rules in favour of GEMA in lawsuit against generative AI service provider Suno
On 31 July, the Munich Court in Germany ruled that the exploitation of musical works of members of German collective management organisation GEMA by US generative AI service provider Suno infringed both German and US copyright law, and that AI service providers must obtain licences and pay rightsholders appropriate remuneration. This landmark decision marks a further step in ensuring that European composers’ and songwriters’ rights are respected by generative AI service providers. Companies such as Suno cannot exploit music authors’ works without consent, transparency, and remuneration. ECSA thus congratulates and warmly thanks GEMA for their efforts to uphold and protect European music authors’ rights in the context of generative AI. Find more information in GEMA’s press release below.
Mapping Fair Practice Across Europe: ECSA and Nieuw Geneco organise panel on fair practice in the music sector in Utrecht, the Netherlands
On Friday, 11 September 2026, Dutch ECSA Member Nieuw Geneco, in collaboration with ECSA, De Creatieve Coalitie, Platform ACCT and Gaudeamus, organise an informative panel session on fair practice in today’s music sector titled “Mapping Fair Practice Across Europe: What Works for New Music?”. During the session, experts will exchange best practices in order to explore how sustainable commissioning and working conditions for composers and creators can be strengthened. The panel will be followed by the presentation of the seventh Nieuw Geneco Fair Practice Award. The panel features speakers Nadia Feldkircher (Basic Income for the Arts, Ireland), Sine Tofte Hannibal (Danish Composers Society / Fair Practice Kultur), and Thomas Drissen (De Creatieve Coalitie). The panel is co-funded by Creative Europe. Find more information and the registration link below.
Soundtrack Cologne: ECSA’s Helienne Lindvall and Anselm Kreuzer discuss AI, music and copyright
Soundtrack Cologne, one of Europe's leading congresses for music and sound in film, games and media, took place from 14 to 17 July in Cologne, Germany. On 14 July, ECSA President Helienne Lindvall and ECSA Board Member Anselm Kreuzer both delivered a keynote speech at the conference’s opening. In addition, Helienne and Anselm participated in a roundtable on 15 July, covering rights attribution for AI works. Together with Michael Duderstädt (GEMA) and Dr. S. Dennis Engbrink (Zirngibl Lawyers), they exchanged views on the many pressing questions and latest developments regarding generative AI, music and copyright. Zooming in on the current landscape for music creators, the current legal framework in the EU, and the role of collective management organisations, the discussion underlined the importance of ensuring the fair remuneration of music creators for the use of their works by AI services. Finally, on 16 July, Anselm participated in the sessions "Track CheckTV Underscore: Promo/Trailer/Advertising" and "Production Music and AI". We warmly thank Soundtrack Cologne for providing the stage for these important conversations!
© Kunsten '92 ECSA Board Member Johan van der Voet to talk generative AI at Paradisodebat in Amsterdam, Netherlands
On 6 September, ECSA Board Member Johan van der Voet takes part in the Paradisodebat, organised by Kunsten ’92, Akademie van Kunsten, ACI and Paradiso. The debate, which will take place in Dutch, focuses on the position of the cultural and creative sector in the era of generative AI. Johan participates in round 1 of the debate, titled “Makers & the Conscience”, alongside Hans van Houwelingen (Academy of Arts), Jean Charles Counet (cameraman and film director), Nanet Beumer (Rijksmuseum), Stefan Heijdendael (NDP Nieuwsmedia), and Tim Schoot Uiterkamp (Foundation for Democracy and Media). Find more information on the panel, how to attend, and how to watch the livestream on the link below.
© European Audiovisual Observatory European Audiovisual Observatory publishes report on copyright and AI
On 23 July, the European Audiovisual Observatory published a report titled “Copyright and AI Training”. The report examines how European copyright law should respond to the challenge of training AI systems in a balanced way. The report, authored by Diego de la Vega (Senior Legal Analyst in the Observatory’s Department for Legal Information), specifically zooms in on the legal framework governing the use of copyrighted works to train AI models, the implications of the of text and data mining (TDM) exception, the role of user prompts, and the relationship between AI platforms and their users. Find the report on the link below.
Irish Parliament adopts motion on creators’ rights and generative AI
On 15 July, Ireland’s Parliament passed the motion “Protecting the Copyright of Irish Artists in the era of Artificial Intelligence”, tabled by Member of the Irish Parliament Aengus Ó Snodaigh. The motion calls for actions to protect the rights of music authors and other creators in the context of generative AI. Irish ECSA member Screen Composers Guild of Ireland (SCGI), together with Ireland’s Collective Management Organisation IMRO and The Ivors Academy, has actively supported this motion and welcomed it as an important step towards ensuring consent, transparency, licensing and fair remuneration of music authors. Find their joint statement on this link. Among other things, the motion expresses alarm that generative AI systems massively rely on protected content without the authorisation and remuneration of rightsholders, creating outputs that compete with them, and in the case of music, are massively used to commit streaming fraud. The motion also notes with concern that the reservation of rights under Art. 4 of the DSM Directive has not delivered meaningful controls for rightsholders, supports the European Parliament report on copyright and generative AI, and calls on the Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU to lead efforts to resolve these issues. ECSA warmly welcomes this motion and thanks Aengus Ó Snodaigh, SCGI, IMRO and all supporting deputies. Below, watch an interview with SCGI’s CEO Sarah Glennane speaking to Virgin Media News about the motion.
Members' news
Spanish ECSA member AMCC announces COMA’26 festival
Spanish ECSA member Madrid Composers Association (AMCC) announced the 28th International Contemporary Music Festival of Madrid, COMA’26, running from 22 September to 22 November 2026. Featuring 22 free-admission activities, including over 20 concerts and two academic encounters, the festival consolidates Madrid as a hub for contemporary creation. Prominent venues include the Auditorio Nacional, Teatros del Canal, Museo de América, and Casa de América. Highlighted performers feature Spanish Brass, Atlántida Chamber Orchestra, and the Community of Madrid Choir. Celebrating numerous world premieres, COMA’26 reflects AMCC’s ongoing commitment to promoting contemporary music, fostering dynamic musical creation across the capital.
HARPA Nordic Film Composers Award: submit your proposal!
Nordic Film Music Days is inviting composers working in the Nordic countries and holding membership in a national Nordic collecting society to submit their best film or TV score for the HARPA Nordic Film Composers Award 2027. More info about the eligibility and other information including the Google form for submissions can be found on this link. The submission deadline is 1 September 2026. The HARPA Award winner will be announced at the award ceremony on the evening of 13 February 2027, at Felleshus in Berlin.
Cultural activities
ECSA announces 2026 Camille Awards’ International Jury members
On 28 August, ECSA proudly announced the members of this year’s International Jury of the Camille Awards. From the list of nominees, the jury will select the winners of the Camille Awards across the three categories. The 2026 jury brings together three internationally distinguished and highly renowned film composers: Alberto Iglesias, Christian Kolonovits, and Johan Söderqvist. Read more about the three jury members in the press release below. The winners of the Camille Awards will be announced at the Camille Awards ceremony on 22 September 2026 at the MuTh Theatre in Vienna, Austria. The ceremony is organised in collaboration with the Austrian Composers Association (ACOM) and with the support of Creative Europe. Tickets are available on this link.
In other news
ECSA Office gladly welcomes Barbara Misuriello as new Executive and Finance Officer
Last month, the ECSA Office in Brussels was delighted to welcome Barbara Misuriello as its new Executive and Finance Officer. In her new role, Barbara will be focusing on financial and administrative management, EU-funded projects, and the coordination of activities and events supporting composers and songwriters across Europe. We warmly welcome Barbara to the team and look forward to working with her! Get to know more about Barbara’s background on this link. We would also like to take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude to ECSA’s former Executive and Finance Officer, Tatiana Papastoitsi, for her tireless dedication and the immense contribution she has made to ECSA over the last years. We wish Tatiana all the best in her future endeavours!