Free Is Not Fair campaign launched

The Copyright Agency and other Australian organisations representing musicians, authors, visual artists, educators, screen producers and publishers have joined forces to mount the #FreeIsNotFair campaign in response to a push by Big Tech and large organisations to water down Australia’s copyright laws.

The campaign’s website features leading Australian creators, such as musicians Jimmy Barnes and Josh Pyke, actor, director and writer Leah Purcell, mambo artist and musician Reg Mombassa and award-winning authors Anna Funder, Michael Robotham and Hazel Edwards, and encourages people to write to MPs and Senators to voice concerns about recent proposals to overhaul Australia’s copyright laws..

See https://freeisnotfair.org/ for more information.

Chris Butler elected new Chair of ICMP

ICMP (the International Confederation of Music Publishers) has elected Chris Butler, MPA UK, as its Chair taking over from Andrew Jenkins, Universal Music Publishing. At the meeting at MIDEM, the ICMP Board also elected its new Executive. Nicolas Galibert (CSDEM France) and Goetz von Einem (BMG) will serve as Vice Chairs, and Ralph Peer (NMPA US) and Rolf Budde (DMV Germany) as Treasurer and Secretary respectively.

Chris Butler is the worldwide Head of Publishing at leading indie The Music Sales Group, Chairman of MCPS and a board member of PRS, ICMP and the UK MPA.

More information: https://www.icmp-ciem.org/news/chris-butler-elected-new-icmp-chair-during-midem

Applications for the Screen Music Awards now open

Applications are now open for the 2017 Screen Music Awards, presented by APRA AMCOS in conjunction with the Australian Guild of Screen Composers (AGSC). The ceremony acknowledges excellence and innovation in the field of screen composition.

Applications are open across ten categories:

Best Music for an Advertisement, Best Music for a Documentary, Best Music for a Short Film, Best Soundtrack Album, Best Original Song Composed for the Screen, Best Music For Children's Television, Best Television Theme, Best Music for a Television Series or Serial, Best Music for a Mini-Series or Telemovie and Feature Film Score of the Year.

Applications Tuesday 11 July, 5pm AEST.

More information: http://apraamcos.com.au/awards/2017-awards/screen-music-awards/