Music is the line that connects all the dots. Individuals of different cultural background perform together and music is heard by people no matter the language or any other cultural barrier.
Pandit Ravi Shankar, the great Indian Sitar maestro performed with the legendary band The Beatles. George Harrison, the lead guitarist of the band was a student of the Pandit and the Pandit was a major inspiration for the music composed by the band.
Songs like Cheb Khalid’s “Didi” and Psy’s “Gangnam Style” are the best examples of music crossing language barriers and being enjoyed by one and all. It does not matter from where the music is originating but it transcends through the barriers.
It is important that something as precious as music should be protected and conserved. Intellectual property rights helps in doing that.
Aspects of IPR related to Music:
- Copyright
- Trademark
Importance of IPR :
- Source of Income :
The main source of income for a musician or for the producers is via sales. The sale of the music cd’s or merchandise generates the most income. Other than that musicians earn via performing live and touring. This is how they earn the money.
So what role does IPR play in this?
Simple thing is that the music can be copied and sold. Piracy is highly prevalent in the entertainment industry and especially in the music industry.
Copyright helps in protecting the musicians and the producers from being robbed. The recording studios usually hold the rights over the material and as they have the distribution rights etc., the major share is earned by them and at the same time the loss suffered also is majorly felt by them.
- Protection over creation :
No person or body can copy an artist’s creation unless authorized by the musician himself or in some cases the recording studios. IPR awards them this security which helps them protect their music.
- Distribution and Broadcasting :
You must have heard a song on the radio or watched a video of the song on television , this is possible because of the rights awarded to the composer. The composer can choose to broadcast his creation and distribute it as he is willing. This is a source of revenue for the composer
- Licensing and Assignment:
Giving authorization for any person to make use of the composition can be done in exchange for money. You must have heard any song from an album being used in a movie, this is part of a licensing agreement which helps the composer make maximum use of his creation.
- Make it common :
The lesser the exclusivity the easier it is for customers to obtain. If you want to earn more money then this can be done. Make it common and easily available. For example : iTunes helps in collecting music by providing an easy platform to collect music. A percentage of the sales goes to the creator, this way all parties are benefitted.
