The International Council of Music Creators (CIAM) and its associate partner alliances ALCAM (Latin America), ECSA (Europe), Music Creators NA (US and Canada) and PACSA (Africa) launched the FAIR TRADE MUSIC project at the 2013 World Creators Summit, co-sponsored last June by the National Music Council in Washington, DC. The project was originally proposed by Music Creators NA and approved by the CIAM Congress in Costa Rica last April.

Inspired in many ways by the well known “Fair Trade Coffee” movement, the project has the primary objective of certifying that all actors in the music business adhere to standards of transparency and fair compensation for music creators. These standards are to be developed and approved by music creators them-selves. The details of the project will be developed in the months to come.

The project has been announced by CIAM’s chair Lorenzo Ferrero at the Summit opening cocktail and at the CISAC General Assembly. The announcement received immediate attention from publications such as the Wall Street Journal and Business Wire.