IP Resources and Tools for Inventors, Creators and Entrepreneurs

World Intellectual Property Day highlights how creativity and innovation, supported by intellectual property (IP) rights, keeps music pulsing through our lives. By safeguarding IP rights, creators, inventors and entrepreneurs can protect their innovations, ensure they are compensated for their craft, and this encouraging continued creativity and innovation in the music industry.

Whether you are looking for business opportunities, legal knowledge on IP protection, or simply want to learn more about the interaction between IP and music, explore the following materials, tools and information to deepen your understanding in IP rights, innovation and creativity in the music landscape.

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CLIP | Creators Learn Intellectual Property

Learn how to be credited and paid for your music. CLIP is the trusted platform to guide creators through their rights, providing all the essential knowledge to protect your work.

In focus: Music studies and guidelines

Image: iStock / Getty Images /Lilia Moor

The Global Digital Music Landscape

This guide offers an overview on the role of the primary entities that make music available to the public and discusses the role of the different stakeholders and challenges in music distribution.

Download the guide [PDF]

Artists in the Digital Music Marketplace

This study explores how the economic and legal aspects of streaming platforms' exploitation of recorded music affect the artists behind the songs, examining the impact on performers across various national jurisdictions.

Download the guide [PDF]

IMAGE: iStock / Getty Images Plus/naratrip boonroung

IP Awareness for Creative Industries

Raise IP awareness effectively with our guidelines. Get general tips plus specific advice for industries like audiovisual, music, publishing, videogames, mobile apps, and fashion.

Download the guide [PDF]

How to Make a Living from Music

PUBLICATION YEAR: 2024

Building a thriving music career involves understanding how to manage your intellectual property rights.

Are the best tunes played on the oldest fiddles? Distribution and digitization of recorded classical music

PUBLICATION YEAR: 2024

This research looks at the distributional effects of copyright when creative works are protected under multiple rights.

Musical Works and Audio-Visual Works

PUBLICATION YEAR: 2016

This WIPO toolkit offers a practical approach to the collective management of copyright and related rights for musical and audio-visual works.

Find more studies and guidelines in the
WIPO Knowledge Repository.

WIPO Academy eLearning courses: Understanding IP in music

WIPO Academy offers a training portfolio of courses focused on copyright and the music industry, providing you with the IP education and skills to navigate IP principles and their real-world applications in the music sector.

Title	Description	Languages
DL201 Copyright and Related Rights	This course offers a thorough understanding of international copyright law, covering the music industry. It highlights key treaties (Berne, TRIPS, WIPO), the management of rights, and the impact of technology and digital platforms on copyright. The modules explore topics like the collective management of rights, copyright enforcement, and protection of folklore and expressions. This course is invaluable for music professionals, offering insights into protecting creative works in the global digital landscape.	EN, FR, ES, PT, RU, CN, AR
DL501 Collective Management of Copyright and Related Rights for Legal Practitioners	This course offers legal practitioners’ essential knowledge of copyright management and international treaties. It focuses on the establishment of collective management organizations (CMOs), covering how they acquire mandates, license works, and resolve disputes, including tariff issues and competition law. The course highlights the benefits of collective management for creators, users, legislators, and society. For music professionals, understanding how CMOs function is crucial in protecting music rights and ensuring fair compensation. This course aims at building knowledge about the basics of copyright and, in particular, the international copyright treaties that have bearing on the management and enforcement of rights nationally, including the role of legal practitioners in IP management in the music industry.	EN, FR, ES, PT, RU, AR
DL502 Collective Management of Copyright and Related Rights for Rights Holders	Building on a prior understanding of copyright (see DL-201 Copyright), this course explores the key elements of a well-functioning copyright system—legislation, policy, and rights management. It focuses on the role and governance of Collective Management Organizations (CMOs), particularly in the areas of music, text and images, works of visual art and photography, and dramatic works. The course highlights how collective management benefits creators, users, legislators, and society when individual rights management is impractical. It examines the collaboration between legal, creative, management, and policy stakeholders to balance these interests. This course is ideal for music professionals seeking deeper insights into IP rights management and how CMOs operate within the copyright framework.	EN, FR, ES, PT, RU, AR
DL503 Collective Management of Copyright and Related Rights for Collective Management Organizations (CMOs)	This course covers the workings of collective management of copyright in various creative industries, including music, text and images, works of visual art and photography and dramatic works. It will also discuss the day-to-day work of CMOs and how they are governed. Seven modules provide an in-depth understanding of how collective management functions, emphasizing the challenges and opportunities posed by digital technologies. Learners will explore the synchronization between legislation, policy, and rights management, understanding how creators, users, and society benefit from these systems. Finally, the learners will be able to examine the challenges and opportunities brought about by digital technologies.	EN, FR, ES, PT, RU, AR
DL506 Collective Management of Copyright and Related Rights for Policy Makers	This course introduces the fundamental principles of policymaking in copyright and collective management, with a focus on legislation, enforcement, and rights management. It explores different legislative frameworks and examines the role of governments in collective management, particularly in creative industries such as music, film, and visual arts. By studying the government's involvement in collective management, the course highlights how creators, users, legislators, and society benefit from an effective copyright system. The course is ideal for those interested in learning about IP in music.	EN, FR, ES, PT, RU, AR

The courses are available in two formats: a tutor-led version with a final exam and certificate and a self-study version.

IP Success Stories in the Music Sphere

In the Courts: Ed Sheeran succeeds in music copyright infringement case, but it’s not over yet…

Ed Sheeran has successfully defended a US music copyright infringement case, which claimed that his song Thinking Out Loud copied Let’s Get It On, a song co-written and performed by Marvin Gaye.

Dua Lipa, Taylor Swift and Rihanna have bought back the rights to their music, while Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, Bob Dylan and Dr. Dre have sold theirs. What in the world is going on?

Sales of music catalogs have traditionally been made to industry multinationals, such as Universal or Sony Music. Since the 2020s, however, investment funds have also been buying up these catalogs, driving up their value. While the number of catalog sales continues to rise, artists such as Taylor Swift are buying back their own music and regaining control of their rights.

How the boy band BTS is using IP to build its legacy?

The Korean boy band BTS is one of the most successful groups of all time. Since releasing its first album, 2 Cool 4 Skool, in 2013, the group’s seven members ̶ RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook ̶ have built up a huge global following. With roots in the Korean underground hip hop scene, BTS successfully transcends language and culture barriers with songs like Blood, Sweat and Tears, Fake Love, and IDOL.

Hatsune Miku: Giving Creativity a Voice Beyond the Physical Realm

Japanese tech company Crypton Future Media (“Crypton”), came into the world spotlight when it released its singing voice synthesizer software (a software that enables users to synthesize human singing by typing in lyrics and a melody) and virtual singer, “Hatsune Miku”. As Hatsune Miku’s global popularity grew, so too did Crypton’s intellectual property (IP) portfolio. Learn more about WIPO’s Madrid System – Crypton’s strongest ally abroad.

The Ascender – the First Premium Travel Guitar

The Ascender is a travel guitar that folds mid-neck so that it can fit into a backpack small enough to fit under the seat on a commercial airplane. Learn more about how the Ascender has been benefited from patents.

Find more stories on how IP stimulates the music industry in the WIPO Magazine and IP Advantage.

Music and IP: Essential Tools for Creators, Inventors and Entrepreneurs

IP in Music: Supporting the Creative Rights of Musicians

In the music industry, copyright and related rights are crucial for safeguarding the rights of musicians and harnessing the economic value of their work. Explore how IP intersects with the music industry.