Message from Director General Francis Gurry

Music is part of an extraordinary revolution that is taking place around us, a revolution that is fundamentally changing the way creative works are produced, distributed and consumed.

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Thanks to digital technology and the Internet, we now have access to more music than ever before. The Internet has created a global marketplace and global stage for music. That is a wonderful thing for music lovers all over the world.

WIPO Director General Francis Gurry (Photo: WIPO)

Today is a day to “get up, stand up, for music” – to
ensure that our musicians get a fair deal, and that
we value their creativity and their unique contribution
to our lives.

We need to ensure that we do not lose sight of creators and performers in the new digital economy. Is their role given sufficient value in these new systems? This is an essential question. It is essential for a vibrant culture that creators, composers, songwriters and performers are able to enjoy a decent economic existence through deriving economic value from their music. Without them, we don't have music.

Enormous artistic, personal, social and economic effort goes into the creation and the performance of music. We must find a way of ensuring its sustainability in the economy. My message for World Intellectual Property Day is – do not take music for granted; value it.

Today is a day to "get up, stand up, for music" – to ensure that our musicians get a fair deal, and that we value their creativity and their unique contribution to our lives.