Performers Rights

This book explores whether global music copyright law and the performers’ rights regime (PRR) have been able to improve the economic position of artists, as they were originally intended to. The author investigates whether this regime effectively addresses contemporary issues regarding royalty payments and cover songs in Sri Lankan music, drawing on the empirical findings of a case study she conducted on the Sinhala music industry. She finds that the PRR developed internationally and implemented in Sri Lanka is predicated on a particular view of the role of performers and their relationships with other actors in the music industry; although this view can be found in the USA, UK and India, it does not seem to reflect the established practices and relationships within Sri Lanka’s contemporary music industry. While providing a socio-historical and legal analysis of these differing industrial settings and investigating the manner in which they impact the PRR’s (in)ability to deliver improved economic security for Sinhala singers, the book also offers policymakers recommendations on how to supplement current national copyright law and the PRR in order to provide a secure economic position for music artists in Sri Lanka.

The second edition builds on the analysis of the 1988 Act, by considering the significant and ongoing impact of the European Union on the question of performers' rights. It contains analysis of the implementation of the Directives developed from the Copyright and the Challenge of Technology Green Paper. Particular attention is paid to the Rental and Lending Rights Directive, which was implemented in the United Kingdom at the end of 1996. Performers' Rights also discusses future European Union initiatives and the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty. It remains the only text exclusively devoted to the subject of performers' rights. The practical and comprehensive approach, which looks at those weapons available to litigants and the implications of drafting performers' contracts, makes this a vital source of information. All legal advisers to the entertainment industry, and lawyers dealing with copyright in general, will find this book a valuable asset.