New digital technologies are opening up great opportunities for creators, consumers and businesses alike. Increased demand for online access to cultural content (e.g. music, films, books) does not recognise borders or national restrictions. Neither do the online services used to access them. This is where collecting societies come into play, in particular in the music sector, where they collectively manage the licensing of copyright-protected music tracks for online use on behalf of composers and lyricists and collect and redistribute to them corresponding royalties.

However, some collecting societies struggle to adapt to the requirements of the management of rights for online use of musical works, in particular in a cross-border context. As a result of today’s proposal, those collecting societies willing to engage in the multi-territorial licensing of their repertoire would therefore have to comply with European standards. This would make it easier for service providers to obtain the necessary licences for music to be distributed online across the EU and to ensure that revenue is correctly collected and fairly distributed to composers and lyricists.

More generally, collecting societies operating in all sectors would have to comply with new European standards providing for improved governance and greater transparency in the conduct of their activities. The need for a change of certain practices was highlighted by recent cases where royalties collected on behalf of rightholders were lost due to poor investment policies, but also by evidence of long-delayed payments of royalties to rightholders.

Commissioner for Internal Market and Services Michel Barnier said: “We need a European digital Single Market that works for creators, consumers and service providers. More efficient collecting societies would make it easier for service providers to roll out new services available across borders – something that serves both European consumers and cultural diversity.” He added “More generally, all collecting societies should ensure that creators are rewarded more quickly for their work and must operate with full transparency. This is paramount to sustaining investment in creativity and innovation which will in turn lead to additional growth and increased competitiveness.”

Today’s proposal pursues two complementary objectives: To promote greater transparency and improved governance of collecting societies through strengthened reporting obligations and rightholders’ control over their activities, so as to create incentives for more innovative and better quality services. Building upon this – and more specifically – to encourage and facilitate multi-territorial and multi-repertoire licensing of authors’ rights in musical works for online uses in the EU/EEA.

In practice:

- Rightholders would have a direct say in the management of their rights, be remunerated more quickly and their ability to choose the most efficient collecting society for their purposes would be enshrined in law. This would bring about better protection of rightholders’ interests, as well as increased access to cultural content for consumers.

- The new rules would change the way in which collecting societies work across Europe, with new requirements such as improved management of repertoire, quicker payments to members, clarity in revenue streams from exploitation of rights, an annual transparency report and additional information provided directly to rightholders and business partners (such as other collecting societies). Member States would need to have mechanisms for solving disputes between collecting societies and rightholders. Improved standards and processes should result in better functioning collecting societies and more confidence surrounding their activities.

- The multi-territorial licensing of authors’ rights for the use of music on the Internet across borders would be facilitated but also subjected to the demonstration of the technical capacity to perform this task efficiently. This would benefit authors, internet service providers and citizens alike.

What’s it like being Arab and a rapper in Greece?

Tarek: “It’s no different from being just Arab or just a rapper. The only difference is that by being a rapper you are more known and recognized, by people who listen to the kind of music that you make. Being Arab influences my way of talking, writing, thinking, beliefs and even the flow on the beat. Arabic also has a different tone and different breathing as well as tongue twisting words just like Greek. I guess I am used to both languages and English, so it came naturally to me on my music.”

What do politics mean to you?

Tarek: “Politics are intelligent stupid lies served to the people though brainwashing and propaganda. As a result people lose will, power and become dependent to their government, not knowing that it is not the politicians or the government who makes decisions but the funded companies that support them.”

How have the Middle East uprisings influenced your rap?

Tarek: “The Middle East has always been an issue. It influenced my rap by making me humble and making me understand that world problems as such should not be ignored. Being Palestinian I see a lot of what’s going on there and it pains me, even more when the majority of people do not know what Palestine stands for, but they know Israel.”

How has the situation in Greece influenced you?

Tarek: “Greek people are very angry with the politics of the country. They realized that the politicians don’t care …finally! Since I live here I have the same beliefs with the Greek people who have had enough, my lyrics reflect a lot on all this.”

What do you want to say to readers who are going to read this interview?

Tarek: “You can achieve anything and everything if you find your higher self, we are born as perfect individuals and in this world, the people who guide the human race hide our real identity. This will not stop. That is the goal after all. Open your eye(s).”

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A taste of Tarek’s lyrics:

I’m living on this planet were towers fall down with dynamites (9/11)
Where sheep gathered and are dragged by their noses,
and the air you inhale at home is polluted.
Our life is made to be programmed, in cracked mould
Our mind is so powerful, but they hide this so well so we don’t know.
There is knowledge, that I don’t even begin to fantasize about
maybe the money got loved by many and brought hate
maybe I’d be writing different if I was a Croesus
maybe there isn’t a dilemma in this life, looking at the sunrise and get nourishment
maybe there wouldn’t be light in my written form
maybe there isn’t a search in demand
maybe you need to change your monologue into conversation
maybe that’s how you save every hope, in front of me look at what I see
I looked and I found sheep gathered on a ball “earth”
they look at your every movement as if you are a fish in a bowl
maybe we will be , because after all we are not free
maybe there is a future for the future
maybe there is a little more oxygen to breathe
Maybe something will exist that will touch you and be worth it.