The European Sound Directors Association



ESDA - The European Sound Directors Association

At a special meeting in Amsterdam on 9 th March '96, representatives from three of Europe's sound director organisations, GONG (Holland), VDT (Germany) and Re-Pro (UK) agreed to come together as what is known in Bruxelles as a 'European Grouping of Economic Interest'. The new grouping will focus on the effort to establish the profession of the sound director as a legitimate creative contributor to sound recordings, one who delivers a performance and who participates in both copyright and neighbouring right revenue.

The meeting, attended by lawyers from Germany and Holland, took some time to explore the different approaches to Neighbouring Rights in the countries of the EU. The discussion revealed a plethora of confusing interpretations of the Rome Convention, the instrument that has guided its signatories in framing local laws relating the 'Neighbouring Rights'. There is also a disparity in the ways different countries apply concepts such as copyright, neighbouring rights and authorship which has led to professionals in one EU country being treated differently from those in another.

The confused rules are having a negative affect on the earnings of some sound directors, record producers, re-mix engineers (whatever we call ourselves) allowing some to receive payments for from neighbouring rights sources and others not - surely not in the spirit of the EU!

ESDA will provide a focus for all the European organisations - not only the current members from within the EU (such as Re-Pro, Gong, GRAF, VDT Germany & Austria, and Re-Pro Italia), but also countries like Russia and Poland which have expanding Intellectual Property industries and are hoping to become part of an extended Union in the near future.

The question of neighbouring rights has less resonance in the USA where there is no history of performance revenue from broadcasts but the rush toward digital multiplex broadcasting will inevitably focus the minds of US 'producers' and 'performers', especially when the knotty question of 'bi-lateral agreements' raises its head.

It is hoped that ESDA will be able to attract financial support from one of the major suppliers in the industry enabling representatives to compile submissions to the EU Commission setting out the paradoxes and injustices within the current arrangements.

For more information contact Michael Lambrechtsen, co-ordinator of GONG,
Kerkweg 41, 3603 CL Maarssen, The Netherlands Tel: 00 31 - 652 782 756
Fax: 00 31 - 3465 72734

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