CISAC President Björn Ulvaeus meets Belgian Prime minister Alexander De Croo on music, technology and copyright

The CISAC President and ABBA founder called for sustained support for copyright and the protection of creators by the European Union as Belgium takes the six-month presidency of the EU. 

Ulvaeus thanked the Prime Minister for Belgium’s important EU programme, which includes projects focused on intellectual property rights. At a key moment in the debate over copyright and AI, Belgium will also be overseeing discussions to finalise the text of the EU AI act. In particular, Ulvaeus urged the establishment of proper transparency principles in the EU AI Act and to require AI operators to adhere to copyright regulations. 

Ulvaeus said:  “The way we respond to AI and its relationship with copyright will have an enormous impact on European culture and our creative economy. At a time when legislation is planned in many jurisdictions across the world, this is a moment when I hope Europe will show its leadership in protecting creators and the creative industries. Rules that require transparency from AI operators are a vital element of this”

CISAC Director-General Gadi Oron and Sabam CEO Steven De Keyser also joined the meeting. They asked for sustained support for copyright and the value of the creative economy, at EU and national government level. 

The important role of collective management organisations (or authors societies) in protecting and remunerating creators was also discussed. Sabam and CISAC are working in Belgium and internationally to support creators struggling to make a living and build a career in the streaming market.

The delegation welcomed the report “Cultural diversity and the conditions of authors in the music streaming market” adopted by the European Parliament on 17th January. The report highlights inequalities for creators including inadequate remuneration and lack of transparency in how works are promoted and discovered. Ulvaeus has been an international champion of the campaign for fair treatment of songwriters and all creators in the streaming world.

About CISAC

CISAC – the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers – is the world’s leading network of authors’ societies. With 225 member societies in 116 countries, CISAC represents over five million creators from all regions and artistic repertoires, including music, audiovisual, drama, literature, and visual arts. CISAC, whose President is singer-songwriter and ABBA co-founder Björn Ulvaeus, protects the rights and represents the interests of creators worldwide. Founded in 1926, it is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organisation with headquarters in France and regional offices in Africa, Latin America (Chile), Asia-Pacific (China) and Europe (Hungary). www.cisac.org Twitter: @CISACNews | Facebook: CISACWorldwide. Instagram: @cisacnews

About Sabam

Sabam serves as the largest collective management organization in Belgium, representing authors, composers, and publishers. Its core mission is to collect and distribute authors’ rights generated in both the Belgian and international markets. In pursuit of this goal, Sabam goes beyond mere rights management, empowering the creators’ community by offering targeted support and expert guidance throughout the entire lifecycle of their creative works, spanning from creation through promotion to distribution in and outside Belgium. Operating across music, audiovisual works, literature, performing and visual arts —Sabam actively contributes to the development of the cultural and creative economy. Finally, it represents the rights of authors worldwide within the Belgian territory via reciprocal agreements with over 200 collective management organisations.