SUISA-free music in film productions

The management of performance and reproduction rights in musical works is subject to State regulation in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. That means that these rights can only be managed with an authorisation from the regulatory authorities (IPI or AfV). Whosoever manages these rights and issues licences without such an authorisation is liable to prosecution. Offering licence-free music, for which an authorisation is required but has not been obtained, is unlawful in Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

Time and again we have established that licence-free music is not licence free at all, and that SUISA holds the rights in the works concerned. To avoid such misuse, persons who intend to use licence-free music are required to file a list of all the music titles involved with SUISA, indicating the relevant titles as well as the composers and lyricists. This enables us to verify that the music in question is effectively licence-free.