When the music changes, so does the dance : do we still need copyright collectives?

Abstract

The tremendous growth of digitization in recent years has raised again the question of the functionality and necessity of the original structure of copyright protection, the copyright collectives. Especially music markets have transformed to such an extent that earlier arguments in favour of the existence of copyright collectives are questionable. The transition from monopolistic and oligopolistic structures to more individual and competitive market is accelerated by the digital economy forces. Even more, the new organisation of the music market has the potential to establish a new stability. The final product of the transformation will be a simpler and shorter creator-consumer chain that will render the market more flexible and competitive, with lower prices and a greater selection. Digital service providers can efficiently collect fees from various music uses. In such world the role of current form of copyrights and copyright collectives can be considered a part of the problem rather than solution.