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Survival of small CMOs in a changing global market

Erica Karinna Smith at the Faculty of Fine Arts  has submitted her thesis entitled “Collective Management Organisations (CMOs), Digital Disruption and Small Developing Economies: The Case of the Caribbean Music Industry” and will defend the thesis for the PhD-degree Friday 22 November 2019.

This leads to the questioning of the traditional concept of the CMO and whether this should be revised based on market realities including differing trade practices and environments and importantly the need to meet the demands of local members.

Erica Karinna Smith

Ph.d. Candidate

How does digitalisation influence small collective management organisations (CMOs) which manage the rights of songwriters and music publishers among others in the Caribbean in competition with big internatuional CMOs?

Erica Karinna Smith at the Faculty of Fine Arts  has submitted her thesis entitled Collective Management Organisations (CMOs), Digital Disruption and Small Developing Economies: The Case of the Caribbean Music Industry” and will defend the thesis for the PhD-degree Friday 22 November 2019.

She has followed the PhD programme in Fine Arts, with Specialisation in popular music performance.

Financing of the PhD project: Financial assistance was provided by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), NORCODE and my employer (COSCAP) and all further requirements were self-funded.

Summary of the thesis by Erica K. Smith:

Survival of small CMOs in a changing global market

The research seeks to explain the changes which have resulted from the growth of digital music distribution on the operations of collective management organisations (CMOs) which are entities which manage the rights of songwriters and music publishers among others.

Large, established CMOs which are primarily located in Europe and the United States of America are juxtaposed against smaller, emerging organisations.

COSCAP – the Barbadian CMO

Specifically, the operations of the Barbadian CMO, the Copyright Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers Incorporated and to a lesser extent other Caribbean CMOs, are compared with that of the English Organisation, the Performing Right Society.

The approach is multidisciplinary but firmly positioned within popular musicology applying a number of theories to explain the current situation and the strategic responses to the rapidly changing environment.

The effects of technological and business model innovation on collective management are scrutinised as is the context of the development of the music industry and collective management in the post-colonial setting and the implications of the adoption of the traditional business model created in the UK based on a legislative framework that was informed by the European environment.

“Global standards”

The economic rationale for CMOs, the failure and reasons why COSCAP and other Caribbean CMOs have been unable to meet what are treated as “global standards” are analysed.

This leads to the questioning of the traditional concept of the CMO and whether this should be revised based on market realities including differing trade practices and environments and importantly the need to meet the demands of local members.

The research strives to identify solutions designed to meet the needs of small CMOs, while simultaneously enabling them to meet the needs of local members and ensuring that these organisations continue to be internationally accredited.

Disputation facts:

The Candidate: Erica Karinna Smith (1975, Barbados). * Background: 2007-2008 LL.M International Sports Law & Management, Instituto de Derecho y Economia (ISDE), Madrid, Spain (distance). Thesis: “The Recognition and Protection of Image Rights in the United Kingdom – Present Situation, Future Prospects. A detailed examination of the growing exploitation of the images of celebrities including the forms of exploitation, the legal protection available including the strength and weakness of the legal framework and the requirements of a more comprehensive structure.” * 2001-2004 Bachelor of Laws degree (hons), University of London, England (distance), * 1997-1998 LL.M Intellectual Property Law (Patents, Trademarks and Designs, Designs and Copyright), University of Alicante, Spain. Thesis: “The Scope of Protection Offered by the Unregistered Trade Mark in the United Kingdom and its application to Character Merchandising.” * 1996-1997 MSc. International Business, University of Groningen, the Netherlands. Thesis Subject: “Corporate Governance in the Telecommunications Services Industry in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.” * 1993-1996 BSc. (hons) Management Studies, University of the West Indies, Barbados. * Current position/work: Chief Executive Officer, Copyright Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers Incorporated & Creative Industries consultant (Intellect Management Services Incorporated)

The trial lecture and the public defence will take place at Auditorium I1 066, Ketil Moes hus, Friday 22 November 2019. Dean at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Marit Wergeland-Yates, will chair the disputation.

Trial lecture at 10:00 a.m.

Public defense at 12:00 noon

Given topic for trial lecture: «Music and Copyright: Contemporary Challenges»

Thesis title: Collective Management Organisations (CMOs), Digital Disruption and Small Developing Economies: The Case of the Caribbean Music Industry”

Search for the thesis in AURA - Agder University Research Archive, a digital archive of scientific papers, theses and dissertations from the academic staff and students at the University of Agder. The thesis will also be available at the University Library, and some copies will also be available for loan at the auditorium where the disputation takes place.

Opponents:

First opponent: Jocelyne Guilbault, Professor in  Musicology, University of California, Berkeley, USA

Second opponent: Hans Weisethaunet, Professor in  Musicology, University of Oslo

Professor Tor Dybo, Faculty of Fine Arts, UiA, is appointed as the administrator for the assessment commitee.

Supervisors were Professor Bendik Hofseth, UiA and Professor Michael Rauhut, UiA