Vol. 555 No. 5
124 Mr. Gogarty asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if IMRO owns copyright on Irish traditional music or if it merely has the right under the Copyright and Related Rights Act, 2000, to licence traditional music unless directed otherwise. [19350/02]
I understand that the Irish Music Rights Organisation, IMRO, is a private, not-for-profit company that represents the interests of songwriters, composers, music arrangers and music publishers in Ireland. It is particularly concerned with the administration of the public performing right provided for by the Copyright and Related Rights Act, 2000, in respect of which it collects royalties on behalf of its members. As regards traditional music, no copyright subsists in music which is handed down purely through the folk tradition. However, copyright does subsist in music written by authors in traditional style or based on traditional models, and in original arrangements of traditional music. In such cases, the copyright owners may, under copyright law, elect to have their public performing right administered through IMRO.
Copyright owners may assign or license their rights and the position in an individual case would depend on the contractual arrangements applicable.
