The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. Its secretariat is based in London, UK, with regional offices in Brussels, Hong Kong, Miami, Athens, and Moscow.
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The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. Its secretariat is based in London, UK, with regional offices in Brussels, Hong Kong, Miami, Athens, and Moscow.
Services provided its members include: introducing and improving copyright laws, anti-piracy enforcement, anti-piracy litigation, Internet monitoring and closing of illegal sites, marketing and public relations efforts, and working to create new forms of Digital Rights Management.
Since January 1, 2005, the chief executive and chairman of IFPI has been John Kennedy OBE, who has worked in the industry for more than 30 years and was one of the co-producers of Live Aid and Live8.
Scope of influence
As of 2008, the IFPI represented approximately 1,400 record companies in 73 countries. According to the IFPI, "any company, firm or person producing sound recordings or music videos which are made available to the public in reasonable quantities is eligible for membership of IFPI", though the company does not specify what "reasonable quantities" actually means.
In those countries where there is a national group of IFPI or an affiliated organisation, potential members should first join the national body before seeking membership of IFPI. There are 44 of these National Bodies or affiliate groups, including the BPI (British Phonographic Industry), ARIA (Australian Recording Industry Association), and the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America). Although recognised as an "affiliated group", the RIAA on its own website specifically notes that IFPI administers programs "for a number of countries, excluding the United States".
Phonogram performance rights
The IFPI was formed as the phonographic industry, invited by "Confederazione Generale Fascista dell'Industria Italiana", held their first international congress in Rome, 10 - 14 November 1933 and registered its head office in Zurich, Switzerland. They would represent "the interests of the recording industry worldwide in all fora"
Phonogram copyrights
The IFPI heavily lobbied at the Rome Convention for the Protection of Performers, Producers of Phonograms and Broadcasting Organisations of 1961, which established an international standard for the protection of sound recordings, live performances & broadcasts. This Convention was opposed by trade groups representing authors and composers, who were concerned that establishing such "neighbouring rights" would undermine their own control over how their works were used and would result in prohibitively expensive licensing. Pressure from broadcasters who didn't want to license the records they broadcast, among other factors, kept the U.S. from signing the Convention; the U.S. did not recognise a separate sound recording copyright until 1971.
