The Ultimate Cookbook for Cultural Managers - Copyright Clearing for Live Events in an International Context is the fourth publication of the RISE project!

The European Festivals Association (EFA)  and Pearle * - Live Performance Europe have teamed up to improve cross-border cooperation within the EFA RISE project, funded by the Creative Europe Program from the European Union from 2014 until 2017.

Cross-border working, touring and international collaboration are deep in the DNA of the live performance sector.

Activities of artists, cultural professionals and live performance organizations are rarely limited to their own country. Nowadays they are very mobile and accept to perform abroad. 

Copyright clearance must be tackled well in advance of a performance. This issue becomes even more complicated when a music group, theatre or dance company is invited to perform abroad. To make creative content accessible to an audience requires a separate rights clearance process in each country where the performance is due to be staged.

The frequently asked questions are: who is responsible for the rights clearance? Which entities, collecting societies or publishers need to be contacted and how can a good deal be negotiated with them?

And as if this was not complicated enough, other questions arise regarding whether or not to take into account national copyright rules or harmonised European legislation.

This guide will walk you through the basics of copyright legislation and explain the main principles. It gives an overview of the stakeholders involved in the copyright chain and provides both practical insights and tips on how to handle the clearance process and contract negotiations.