New Federal Law on Copyright ratified at last

Finally! The Copyright Act review has been concluded. Nearly ten years after Géraldine Savary got the ball rolling by introducing a postulate regarding music downloads, the Federal Assembly adopted the text on 27 September.

Attempts to receive privileges, be it for libraries or the hotel sector, were rejected. The result is not spectacular but rather satisfying in the eyes of the organisations which represent the creatives.

Switzerland will thus introduce a new remuneration right in favour of the screenwriters and directors for the use of their works as video-on-demand. This right will be managed by the licensed collective management organisations and creatives can neither assign the right nor can they renounce on it. The systematic protection of their rights is thus going to be improved. The timing is right: Numerous new streaming platforms are about to be launched. The internet has thus not succeeded to make authors’ achievements in the linear sector disappear. The proposals within the culture dispatch 2021-2024 also respond to the fact that audience behaviour clearly does not tend towards linear consumption of audiovisual contents.

Despite such progress, streaming is by no means the new ‘El Dorado’ for creatives. The organised strife for authors’ remuneration which began in France in the 18th century does not condone to taking a rest. Swiss collective management organisations take on these challenges with determination – and implement the new remuneration right for VOD in the meantime.