Universal Music Group has become the first corporate Sponsor of WIPO for Creators, an initiative working to ensure that creators across the world are recognised for their work, by raising awareness of their intellectual property (IP) right.
Launched by WIPO and the Sweden-based Music Rights Awareness Foundation, WIPO for Creators is a public-private partnership supporting IP rights across music, literature, audio-visual creation, and the dramatic and visual arts.
UMG will be helping fund selected WIPO for Creators deliverables in development such as the Creators Platform, which is an online rights awareness platform providing interactive ‘microlearning’ videos featuring high-profile creators and regularly updated information.
“UMPG fights every day to ensure that creators are properly recognised and fairly compensated for their work,” said Universal Music Publishing group chairman and CEO Jody Gerson. “In partnering with Music Rights Awareness Foundation and WIPO as part of WIPO for Creators, we continue our mission of protecting songwriters while also increasing transparency around the rights process. As always, I encourage everyone, especially the music and arts communities, to stand with us in safeguarding creators and their IP rights.”
“It is a great pleasure to welcome UMG to the WIPO for Creators family and to see a music company of UMG’s stature take a leading role in our efforts to promote awareness of IP rights among creators around the world,” said WIPO director general Daren Tang. “The benefits of this partnership will be far-reaching and critical, especially to creators in developing countries where artistic talent abounds. We look forward to working with UMG on involving other major players to make sure the benefits of WIPO for Creators are felt near and far.”
“It’s really uplifting and hope-inspiring that UMG has decided to support the important work that WIPO for Creators is going to do. Sir Lucian and Jody Gerson are music people who have a deep understanding of creators and what makes them tick,” said Bjorn Ulvaeus of ABBA and the Music Rights Awareness Foundation. “I know that from personal experience, so knowing that this global music company is behind this is such great news. It will give impetus to the project and hopefully make other players of the industry give as generously as UMG has.”
UMG chairman and CEO Sir Lucian Grainge also commented: “Creators – songwriters, recording artists, or those who express themselves through other forms of art – are at the core of everything we do at UMG. Creators have the potential to move culture on a global scale through the power of their talent. No one knows this better than Björn; he has dedicated his life to creating iconic, genre-defining music and at the same time being a tireless advocate for songwriters. We are very pleased to join with Bjorn and all of our friends at Music Rights Awareness and WIPO to support WIPO for Creators’ important work.”
