Today, the term “Value Gap” – the disparity between the value of creative content accessed by consumers and the revenues returned to the people and businesses who create it – is an integral part of the lexicon in discussions of copyright law and creative content. And there is growing sentiment around the world that the time has come to correct the flaws underlying it. At this event, presented by Music Canada and the International Association of Entertainment Lawyers (IAEL), Music Canada President and CEO Graham Henderson will share highlights from an upcoming report that examines the developing recognition of the Value Gap and why policymakers should act with a sense of urgency to address it.

Music Canada’s 2017 report, The Value Gap: Its Origins, Impacts and a Made-in-Canada Approach, played a foundational role in shifting views on the Value Gap. Since its publication two years ago, a great deal has occurred to advance understanding of the issue. This includes new economic analysis that has definitively evaluated the size of the Value Gap and identified its sources, and Parliamentary hearings in Canada in which the Value Gap dominated the proceedings and where numerous stakeholders presented an overwhelming body of evidence demonstrating its impacts.

Henderson will summarize key insights from the upcoming report, including how record labels continue to play a vitally important role in the music ecosystem through their investments in A&R and marketing, and their commitment to licensing new and innovative digital music services. He will also describe how a lack of transparency on the part of user-upload services like YouTube, as to how much copyright content they exploit and how much compensation is paid to creators, makes it harder to address the Value Gap.  The detrimental impact of this lack of transparency is further exacerbated by a broken copyright framework caused by overly broad and ill-defined safe harbours, which have allowed these platforms to commercialize music for massive profits, while passing a mere pittance onto creators.

The voices of artists have been central to validating the Value Gap and illuminating its detrimental effects. One artist in particular, Canadian musician and record label owner Miranda Mulholland, has played a key role. With great clarity and passion, Mulholland has persuasively conveyed how exemptions in out-of-date copyright legislation have impaired her career, and how artists can play a central role in establishing a sustainable and functioning marketplace.

In her return to MIDEM, Mulholland will recap her path to advocacy. She will outline how fellow creators can help establish a sustainable and functioning marketplace, describing her own journey as an artist advocate. Mulholland will also take the stage with Andrew Penner, her musical partner in the band Harrow Fair, to perform their unique blend of folk, country and garage rock music.

Jeff Liebenson, President of the International Association of Entertainment Lawyers (IAEL), will conclude the event by previewing IAEL’s upcoming book, “Keeping it Honest: Transparency in the Entertainment Industry” ahead of its official launch following the session.

Speakers:

Graham Henderson – President and CEO, Music Canada
Miranda Mulholland – Musician, President of Roaring Girl Records, and Music Festival Founder
Jeff Liebenson, Liebenson Law, President of the International Association of Entertainment Lawyers (IAEL)

Performance by: Harrow Fair