Geographical Indication (GI) options for Ethiopian Coffee and Ghanaian Cocoa

From De Facto Commons to Digital Commons?
music sharing. This case study sought to bring the voices of central actors into the
debate, namely, the consumers, musicians, producers and other stakeholders in
the music industry. The study was the first to use field work to collect primary data
on a large scale in Egypt on this topic, and it tapped into the perceptions behind
music consumption habits and the thrust behind producing music outside the
scope of the mainstream.
2. Research objectives and questions
How can independent music be nurtured and sustained within frameworks and
models that reward creativity and enable knowledge-sharing, in a way that reflects
the current practices of music consumption and production in Egypt? To answer
this research question, field work was carried out to explore the prevailing perceptions
of copyright and the practices of consumption and delivery of independent
music. The research looked into the extent to which awareness of copyright and its
breach intersects with trends in music delivery and consumption. It also looked
at the gap in copyright awareness between physical and digital goods, whereby
the notion of materiality directly correlates with the relevance of copyright. (This
has its effect on the understanding of how products that are available online
can be consumed and how the musicians behind them should be remunerated.)
Accordingly, the study tapped into propositions on models that would legalise,
accommodate and refine existing grassroots mechanisms for music production
and sharing. The research also explored the possibility of creating a “quasi-commons”
in which collaborators could be compensated for creativity and simultaneously
satisfy the public interest in unhindered music-sharing. Specifically, the
questions in the research included, but were not limited to:
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What are the prevalent trends of music consumption among users?
What are the existing perceptions of copyright among users and producers?
What types of reward are musicians seeking? Are they content with using
their music as a channel for voicing opinion, or would they want to reap a
monetary benefit as well, and, if so, how would that be possible?
Which channels of remuneration do musicians prefer? Which ones do
consumers prefer?
How might it be possible to capitalise on the quasi-public, non-rival nature
of music and yet create value that provides incentives to production?
Which business models would be most suitable to empowering authors in
the industry, bearing in mind socio-cultural factors?
The findings of this case study should prove valuable to policy-makers,
as, in essence, the study addresses the core controversy inherent in any
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