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Worldwide Independent Network Offers 'Fair Digital Deals Declaration'
July 16, 2014 at 11:02 AM (PT)
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The WORLDWIDE INDEPENDENT NETWORK (WIN), which represents the interests of the global independent music community, has announced a major new initiative, ‘The FAIR DIGITAL DEALS DECLARATION,’ which will be launched with a WORLDWIDE DECLARATION SIGNING DAY on JULY 16th. The FAIR DIGITAL DEALS DECLARATION is a statement of commitment made by independent record labels to treat their artists fairly in agreements relating to digital exploitation of artists’ work in recorded music agreements with third parties.
The DECLARATION was created by indie labels heads EMMANUEL DE BURETEL/BECAUSE, MARTIN MILLS/BEGGARS, ALISON WENHAM/WIN, JUSTIN WEST/SECRET CITY, DARIUS VAN ARMAN/SECRETLY GROUP, FLORIAN VON HOYER/ALTOFONTE and DOUG D’ARCY/FAITH AND HOPE, all members of the WIN Council.
There are 5 key points to the DECLARATION:
• We will ensure that artists’ share of download and streaming revenues is clearly explained in recording agreements and royalty statements in reasonable summary form.
• We will account to artists a good-faith pro-rata share of any revenues and other compensation from digital services that stem from the monetization of recordings but are not attributed to specific recordings or performances.
• We will encourage better standards of information from digital services on the usage and monetisation of music.
• We will support artists who choose to oppose, including publicly, unauthorized uses of their music.
• We will support the collective position of the global independent record company sector as outlined in the Global Independent Manifesto.
Any label signing up to this declaration will also commit to communicating to their artists that they have signed the DECLARATION. They will agree to attach a signed copy of the DECLARATION to their artists’ royalty statements at the next royalty payment run to demonstrate their support for the initiative.
“A healthy commercial relationship based on mutual trust and partnership between artists and labels is critical to the long term financial health of our industry," WIN Chairman ALISON WENHAM said. "We believe that this new initiative, which seeks to put in place simple, fair and transparent guidelines for labels dealing with third party digital partners is a template for best practice. We invite companies – majors and indies – to join the hundreds of companies who have already signed and put a stop to the practice of diverting revenues from the artists without whom we would not have a business.”
The campaign can be followed on TWITTER from the @winformusic account throughout the day where updates from trade associations and labels across the world, including photos and Declaration signing news, will be added using the hashtag #fairdigitaldeal4artists.

