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Working papers

Towse Working Paper Assesses Copyright and Business Models in UK Music Publishing

Posted on    by Andrew McHugh
Working papers

Towse Working Paper Assesses Copyright and Business Models in UK Music Publishing

By 3 December 2015No Comments

The latest entry in CREATe’s Working Paper Series is now available to download. Copyright and Business Models in UK Music Publishing by Ruth Towse argues that the paradigmatic shift from the sale of printed music to exploiting and managing musical rights that took place in music publishing during the early years of the 20thcentury was due to the changing market rather than to changes in copyright law.

The paper takes an historical approach to the development of music publishing viewed through the lens of present day issues. The research has resonance for the transition from sales to licensing digital works that is taking place in the creative industries today and puts into perspective the relative significance of market forces and copyright law in the process.