CISAC President Jean-Michel Jarre Speaks with France Inter

02 September 2015                  

CISAC President underlines the need for new business models to sustain creativity and cultural diversity

                  

This interview with Jean-Michel Jarre by journalist, Augustin Trapenard has been translated from French.

On the occasion of the upcoming release of his new album, CISAC’s President Jean-Michel Jarre was the guest speaker on France Inter’s Boomerang, one of France’s leading cultural radio programs. At the beginning of the interview, Jarre responds to questions regarding the impact of technology on cultural change, the importance of IP and the need to create new economic models to sustain creativity and cultural diversity in the 21st century.
Do you think that we protect artists enough in this current climate of fast-paced cultural change?

“Music, like other forms of art, such as cinema, video games, literature or theater, has never been made so readily available. Never in the past have we listened to so much music; it has never generated so much money. Yet, creators and artists have never received so little."

Does this threaten the future of cultural and creative industries?

“Intellectual property, like ecology or the environment, is at the foundation of our society. Aside from money, today, we are the smart part of smart phones.
In every family, there is a child, a boy or a girl, who dreams to make music, or to become a photographer, a film director, a playwright or a writer. Today, this individual is forced to take a job to pay the bills and, tomorrow, he or she is likely to have to give up his or her dream.  We need to find a balance: in a way, we’re all virtual shareholders in Spotify, Apple and all these other tech companies that make a lot of money out of our artistic content.”

What needs to be done in terms of legislation to ensure the sustainability of creators’ remuneration?

"It’s very simple: on every smartphone, laptop or other electronic device, there should be a small, or even a tiny amount, that is redistributed to creators. This would solve the problem. I’m confident that it will happen.  The people who created Apple, Facebook or Spotify were originally kids with a passion for music, and they still love music and other forms of art. They are not our enemies. In 20 years, their businesses have become economic powerhouses. We need to all sit down together to create a new economic model that will sustain creativity and cultural diversity in the 21st century. It is our responsibility for future generations.”

Listen to the full broadcast (in French).


    


Discover Jean-Michel Jarre’s definite trailer of Electronica Part 1 - The Time Machine.

Source: cisac