International and national legal aspects of intellectual property rights in music

Abstract

The legal protection of authors' rights for musical works appeared in an incipient form as early as the 18th century, in the form of the transfer of copyright for economic purposes through the direct sale of a manuscript, without being followed by royalties’ payable for the long-term "exploitation" of the work. It was not until the nineteenth century that the law granted „lifelong” protection to composers for the copyright of their creation, at the same time as the Royalty Contracts, which ensure the payment due for repeated performances. Nowadays, rights are extended to musical works and the collection of money from multiple sources, whether from any format of recorded music or film music, advertising, and „broadcasts” of all kinds, as all genres of music. This research theme is motivated by the need for a critical evaluation of the international and national legal aspects governing intellectual property rights in music.