Does the Law of Copyright in the UK and Ireland Conflict with the Creative Practices of Irish Traditional Musicians?
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Does the Law of Copyright in the UK and Ireland Conflict with the Creative Practices of Irish Traditional Musicians? A Study of the Impact of Law on a Traditional Music Network By Luke Thomas McDonagh A thesis submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of Law Queen Mary, University of London February 2011 Declaration I declare that the work presented in this thesis is the result of my own research, undertaken at the School of Law, Queen Mary, University of London. Luke Thomas McDonagh 25th February 2011 2 Abstract The objective of this thesis is to investigate whether copyright law has the potential to affect the creative practices of Irish traditional musicians. By outlining the central tenets of copyright law, including both economic and moral rights, the thesis aims to identify the crucial issues that are relevant to the relationship between copyright and music. As described over the course of this thesis, Irish traditional music is typically created and performed in an environment within which free-sharing and musical borrowing are encouraged. By dissecting the crucial issues of conflict between copyright and Irish traditional music, the thesis attempts to discover whether any potential solutions can be found within the law to resolve these conflicts. In order to do this, empirical research is undertaken, so that the perspectives of a number of Irish traditional musicians can be assessed in relation to both the potential conflicts and the potential solutions. This thesis aims to evaluate six things: - The coherence of the notion of „originality‟ under copyright in relation to the practices of Irish traditional music - The suitability of the notion of „authorship‟ of musical works under copyright in relation to the network of Irish traditional musicians - The suitability of the notion of „joint authorship‟ of musical works under copyright in relation to the collective forms of authorship present in the network of Irish traditional musicians - The potential for the doctrine of infringement to interfere with the practices of Irish traditional musicians - The applicability of moral rights in the context of Irish traditional music - The suitability of the copyright licensing model in relation to the practices of the Irish traditional music network. 3 Table of Contents Declaration.......................................................................................................................... 2 Abstract ............................................................................................................................... 3 Table of Contents ............................................................................................................... 4 Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................... 13 Abbreviations ................................................................................................................... 14 Table of Legislation .......................................................................................................... 17 Table of Cases .................................................................................................................. 20 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 26 Hypothesis ............................................................................................................................ 26 Organisation of the Thesis.................................................................................................... 27 Scope ................................................................................................................................ 27 Chapter Outlines ............................................................................................................... 27 Research Methodology ......................................................................................................... 28 Theoretical Data ............................................................................................................... 28 Empirical Data .................................................................................................................. 29 Online Survey – March-April 2010 .............................................................................. 29 Interviews – November 2009-September 2010 ............................................................ 30 Limitations ........................................................................................................................ 31 Chapter 1: Exploring the Relationship between Music and Copyright ............................ 33 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 33 1.1. Exploring Subsistence of Copyright in Musical Works and Sound Recordings in the UK and Ireland ..................................................................................................................... 34 1.1.1. The Musical Work .................................................................................................. 34 1.1.1.1. The Statute of Anne, 1710 and the case of Bach v Longman in 1777 ............. 35 1.1.1.2 International Conventions ................................................................................. 37 1.1.1.3. UK .................................................................................................................... 39 1.1.1.4. Ireland .............................................................................................................. 40 1.1.1.5. Exploring the Notion of „Musical Work‟ under Copyright ............................. 41 1.1.1.6. The Distinction between the Composition and the Arrangement under Copyright ...................................................................................................................... 44 1.1.2. Sound Recordings ................................................................................................... 49 4 1.1.2.1. International Conventions ................................................................................ 49 1.1.2.2. UK .................................................................................................................... 50 1.1.2.3. Ireland .............................................................................................................. 51 1.1.3. The Requirement of Originality ............................................................................. 52 1.1.3.1. UK .................................................................................................................... 52 1.1.3.2. Ireland .............................................................................................................. 58 1.1.4. The Requirement of Fixation .................................................................................. 59 1.1.4.1. UK .................................................................................................................... 59 1.1.4.2. Ireland .............................................................................................................. 60 1.2. Authorship and First Ownership of Copyright .............................................................. 60 1.2.1. The Musical Work .................................................................................................. 60 1.2.1.1. UK .................................................................................................................... 60 1.2.1.2. Ireland .............................................................................................................. 64 1.2.2. Sound Recordings ................................................................................................... 64 1.2.2.1. UK .................................................................................................................... 64 1.2.2.2. Ireland .............................................................................................................. 65 1.3. Joint Authorship ............................................................................................................ 65 1.3.1. UK .......................................................................................................................... 65 1.3.2. Ireland ..................................................................................................................... 66 1.3.3. Exploring the Requirement of a „Significant and Original‟ Contribution in relation to Musical Works ............................................................................................................. 66 1.4. The Acts Restricted by Copyright and Infringement .................................................... 71 1.4.1. UK .......................................................................................................................... 71 1.4.2. Ireland ..................................................................................................................... 72 1.4.3. Infringement under the CDPA and CRRA ............................................................. 72 1.4.4. The Meaning of „Substantial Part‟.......................................................................... 73 1.5 Moral Rights ................................................................................................................... 78 1.5.1. UK .........................................................................................................................