This book explores whether global music copyright law and the
performers' rights regime (PRR) have been able to improve the economic
position of artists, as they were originally intended to. The author
investigates whether this regime effectively addresses contemporary
issues regarding royalty payments and cover songs in Sri Lankan music,
drawing on the empirical findings of a case study she conducted on the
Sinhala music industry. She finds that the PRR developed internationally
and implemented in Sri Lanka is predicated on a particular view of the
role of performers and their relationships with other actors in the
music industry; although this view can be found in the USA, UK and
India, it does not seem to reflect the established practices and
relationships within Sri Lanka's contemporary music industry. While
providing a socio-historical and legal analysis of these differing
industrial settings and investigating the manner in which they impact
the PRR's (in)ability to deliver improved economic security for Sinhala
singers, the book also offers policymakers recommendations on how to
supplement current national copyright law and the PRR in order to
provide a secure economic position for music artists in Sri Lanka.