Editorial by Jean-Marie Moreau, President of Board of Directors
© François Jaglin
At a time when all cultural industries are delighted following their first victory, achieved on 12th September 2018; a protective European directive regarding creators' rights, I am pleased to recognise all the professional organisations that, alongside Sacem, have worked to achieve this result.
In response to a misleading campaign, loosely orchestrated and financed by the giants of the internet, songwriters, composers, publishers, performers, writers, screenwriters, journalists, directors, filmmakers, dubbers and producers created, under the banner "Europe for Creators", a quasi-historical movement by launching “The Palais Royal appeal" under the windows of the Ministry of Culture. Supported by a committed Minister, this momentum has led us to the European Parliament in Strasbourg and will continue until the final vote. After the tripartite discussions between the parliamentarians, the European commissioners and the ministers representing each country, the amended text will have to be ratified by the European Parliament...
It is not the end of the road yet, but we are used to fight to protect the work of creators, freedom of expression and cultural diversity. It's a fight that has always been in Sacem's genes.
In this respect, there's no lack of projects to test our tenacity. As an example, the energy deployed to try to build a National Center for Music which, like the “Centre national de la cinématographie” for the film world or the “Centre national du Livre” for the book world, would house and bring together the music industry. This public institution would make it possible, in particular, to carry out reliable studies on the state and needs of all musical sectors. It could also inaugurate the establishment of direct aid for publishers and authors, the only actors in the creative field of work not to benefit from this today. The NMC report on this preparatory assignment, entrusted to MEP Émilie Cariou and Pascal Bois, is already providing answers, but sustainable funding remains to be found in order to carry out this project...
Your Magsacem brings you some highlights from the past few months, with a special look at the launch of the Sacem museum and the second edition of Creation days in Lyon, which have kept all their promises, as much by the richness and the diversity of the subjects tackled as by the quality of the exchanges between the participants.
2019 is on the horizon with, in particular, the introduction of an innovation concerning the possibility of the free sharing of rights between authors on the one hand, and composers on the other. However 2019 also, and above all else, is the year in which a new European Parliament will be elected, with all the risks therein, but also all the opportunities that such a change can entail in the world of copyright and creation. Let's hope it's for the better.
Published December 04 2018