Between a rock and a hard place

This report, commissioned by the Creators’ Rights Alliance, documents serious concerns regarding the interests of creative workers (including authors, playwrights, journalists, directors, photographers, composers and musicians) whose rights are being abused on a massive scale.

Typically, abuses involve the use and re-use of creators’ works without adequate payment or recognition and, sometimes, without any payment whatsoever. Between a Rock and a Hard Place clearly demonstrates that the current UK copyright regime leaves creators with little guarantee of continuing remuneration from the use of their works and little or no control over how their works are used or exploited.

The report looks at ways of protecting creators’ rights by action short of legislation and uses the protection offered to workers in other European states as a model for reform in the UK.

The aim of the report is to raise policy proposals that will create an environment in which creativity will thrive and the cultural industries on which the economy increasingly depends will prosper.