Venezuela's contributions to the Ibero-American Manual of Intellectual Rights in Music

By E.C.V. & ASOCIADOS

The Ibero-American Manual of Intellectual Rights in Music was launched in September 2021 in the framework of the Ibermúsicas Programme of the General Iberoamerican Secretariat (SEGIB). It aims to provide systematized pedagogical content for people involved in musical activity disseminating information about their intellectual property rights. The development of the manual was a special project promoted by Argentina through its National Institute of Music and the Ministry of Culture.

There is also a special chapter dedicated to the registration and collection of royalties in the countries that make up the Ibermúsicas Programme, which main contributions were provided of Venezuela. This section explains in detail the process and cost of registering a musical work and phonograms before Venezuela’s IP Office (SAPI), as intellectual property rights give musicians control over their artistic works as well as their name and brand.

Registration has several advantages, including notice to the public of the registrant's claim of ownership of the mark, legal presumption of ownership nationwide, and exclusive right to use the mark on or in connection with the goods/services listed in the registration. 

Besides the launch of the Ibero-American Manual of Intellectual Rights in Music, Ministers of Culture of Latin America have met to make progress on a common qualifications framework to promote the recognition and circulation of the arts, cultural heritage and functional creations in the region. The next step is agreeing a roadmap to establish common guidelines to certify the trades that exist in the arts and culture sector.