French Music Creators and Publishers Co-Sign “Code of Good Practice” to Forge Significant New Relationship

On 4 October 2017, the music creators’ organisations SNAC, UCMF and UNAC joined the publishers’ organisations CSDEM, CEMF and ULM in the presence of France’s culture minister, Françoise Nyssen to sign a “Code of Good Practice for the Publishing of Musical Works”.

Among the signatories was CIAM executive committee member, Jean-Marie Moreau, who is also vice president of SACEM and honorary president of SNAC.

The Code aims to define, in detail and for all repertoires, the scope of modern day music publishing and the reciprocal obligations between creators and publishers. This includes publishing contracts, the conditions for their termination, and the formation of a six-member arbitration commission (with equal representation of creators and publishers)  to deal with any controversies.

CIAM and the other creators’ organisations are hopeful that this document will now be included and/or referenced in the French Intellectual Property Code. If this happens, it will constitute a significant step forward as today, most author’s right and copyright legislation does not refer to or specifically regulate music publishing.