© European Union 2024 – Source : EP, photographer: Philippe BUISSIN
Music creators to the EU:
This week, European music creators met with EU politicians. There, the music creators demanded new legislation to address the challenge of so-called "buy-outs", i.e. forced one-off agreements to give up rights to music in films.
/ 05/02/2026 / Willy MartinsenThe meeting, held at the European Parliament in Brussels, focused on how buy-out clauses in contracts mean that composers lose control over their own works and the possibility of fair remuneration over time. This comes at a time when the EU is preparing further follow-up to the Copyright Directive and assessing the need for more targeted regulation.
- We hear time and time again that large, global players pressure composers to give up their rights for a lump sum. This means they lose both control over the works and the opportunity for fair remuneration over time. It is absolutely fundamental that they should be paid remuneration that follows the value creation their music adds to films and TV series, also in the future. This assumes that the music is licensed within the collective management system, as European copyright is structured, says Inger Elise Mey, department director at TONO.
Mey emphasizes that this is not a new problem, but one that has grown in step with the internationalization of the audiovisual market.
– It is now absolutely crucial that the EU follows up with clear regulations that actually apply to all actors operating in Europe, regardless of where they are based, says Mey.
A key topic of the meeting was how foreign actors in practice circumvent EU law by relying on contract models and jurisdictions outside Europe. This creates both legal uncertainty and distortion of competition that particularly affects European creators.
- European copyright is based on fundamental principles of fairness, transparency and respect for creative work. These principles must also apply when dealing with global digital actors, Mey emphasizes.
The meeting itself does not entail new legislation, but it sends a clear political signal. The expectation is now that the European Commission will follow up with concrete measures to ensure that the principles of fair remuneration and protection against unfair contract terms are actually enforced.
TONO has over time been closely involved in the European work against buy-out practices, including through meetings in the European Parliament and cooperation with sister organizations. Last year TONO also participated in meetings in Brussels where buy-outs and audiovisual contracts were on the agenda. At that time, Inger Elise Mey and TONO member and AV composer Peter Baden participated and gave speeches.
The discussion this week is in line with the work being done by GESAC and ECSA, both of which have been clear that current practices in parts of the market are in reality eroding European copyright, even though the regulations initially provide strong protection.
Read the press release from Gesac about the matter here:
Creators await legislation against coercive buy outs
Read more about TONO's work against buy-outs and for fair compensation: