Artificial intelligence must serve society and enhance human creativity.

Authors and other creative professionals are the key actors in the creative value chains and deserve to be treated fairly. Their rights should be recognised and their contribution to society and the economy valued, writes EU Member States’ expert group in its recent report on the status of the artists. Their proposal, a legal status for artists and creative professionals is not a privilege nor an honorary title, it is a way to reduce social and economic disadvantages.

The adoption of the EU Directive 2019/790 on Copyright and Related Rights in the Digital Single Market (The Directive) was a great victory for authors after three years of intense negotiations and strong opposition from content sharing platforms like YouTube.

The ‘SatCab II’ Directive (EU) 2019/789, on copyright and related rights applicable to certain online transmissions of broadcasting organisations and retransmissions of television and radio programmes expanded the scope of the first Directive 93/83/EEC. It regulated retransmissions by other means than cable, direct injection and domestic retransmissions. What is the outcome of the implementation in the 24 Member States that have transposed the Directive so far?

On 1 March creators from Europe and Latin America came together with three international bodies representing authors’ rights to call for an unwaivable remuneration right and fairer payment for screenwriters and directors.

Audiovisual authors’ rights in Europe and Latin America, an online event with testimonies from audiovisual authors in Brazil, Chile, Poland, and Slovenia, and with experts from the Latin American Audiovisual Authors Societies Federation, SAA, and the International Confederation of Societies Authors and Composers. 

The SAA addresses the Polish Prime Minister and Minister of Culture, calling for support to the Polish model of statutory remuneration for audiovisual authors to be extended to on-demand usages. Such a reform wiould establish a level playing field and safeguard authors’ rights.

On 12 December 2022, Eleonora Rosati, Professor of IP law and Director of the Institute for Intellectual Property and Market Law, Stockholm University, moderated an informative seminar with experts from the Nordic countries and the European Commission about the use of Extended Collective Licensing mechanisms to license audiovisual works and deliver remuneration to their authors.

SAA contribution to the UNESCO consultation on the Status of the Artist

More than 40 years ago, the UNESCO Recommendation on the Status of Artist stated that Member States should take necessary measures to ensure that “the artist is remunerated for the distribution and commercial exploitation of his work”. On 14 November 2022, the SAA submitted its contribution to the UNESCO consultation on the recommendation.

Extended Collective Licensing: How can it help audiovisual authors?

The pandemic, Russia’s war against Ukraine, the energy crisis, and political wins of the extreme right, are the latest big headlines of many recent reports about the world in 2022. Indeed, these disheartening developments have repercussions on the cultural and creative sectors too. At the same time, data and figures help us better understand our environment, and where we need to focus our efforts to move forward.