Author's right

Authors decide on the use of their works

Copyright gives authors the right to decide on the use of their works, to be named as the author of the work and also the right to intervene if their rights are infringed. Copyright guarantees the authors the right to the immaterial capital they have created and, thus, promotes culture and its diversity. Copyright is based on law and international agreements.

Authors have the right to decide on the public performance, reproduction and making available to the public of their works. All use of music, except within the family or a circle of friends, is public performing and the author's permission is needed. Copyright is in force for 70 years after the death of an author.

Why are copyright societies needed?

Finnish composers and music publishers established their non-profit organization, the Finnish Composers' Copyright Society Teosto, to administer their copyrights in Finland and abroad to be able to concentrate on their creative work. It is virtually impossible for individual music authors to personally grant licenses for the public performance of their works or to administer the use of works and to collect the royalties for such use.

Teosto also manages the rights of foreign music authors and publishers in Finland, and correspondingly its sister societies abroad manage the rights of Finnish rightholders around the world.