Music is more than art, it’s IP in action.
This year, World IP Day (April 26) is celebrating the power of music – and the intellectual property rights that help bring it to life.
Music is a universal language. It brings people together, sparks powerful emotions, and inspires action. But behind every beat, riff, and verse is a talented creator. Someone who turned an idea into something real. Something valuable. And like any valuable asset, it deserves protection.
Intellectual property (IP) rights are pivotal in nurturing a vibrant and diverse music landscape by safeguarding an artist’s income and reputation against a range of online threats:
- Phishing: Without IP protection, both artists and fans are more susceptible to online scams designed to steal personal and financial information, such as bogus websites tricking fans into buying fake tickets. These sites directly take money away from artists. Recently seen during Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.
- Impersonation: Weak enforcement of IP allows fake social media profiles or websites to spread, powered by deepfakes and other AI-generated content, potentially damaging an artist’s reputation and misleading fans.
- Widespread counterfeit merchandise: Without robust IP protection, the market can be flooded with fake merchandise such as t-shirts and hats, denying artists revenue and disappointing fans with low-quality products.
Beyond the music: how IP protects creativity across industries
IP isn’t just about protecting a song. It’s about empowering entire ecosystems of innovation.
Think about where music shows up. You can feel the presence of music in films, fashion shows, tech products, video games, advertising… even consumer goods.
Protecting what they create helps artists make money in different ways, not just from their music. Strong IP means they can keep their whole brand safe. This lets them work with other brands, build trust online so fans buy real merchandise, and make sure everything they offer is genuine. When artists protect their IP, they can really make the most of their work, just like it helps businesses grow in all sorts of industries.
From melody to marketplace: making IP work for you
At SnapDragon, we see the importance of IP protection daily. We safeguard the intellectual property of brands worldwide by tracking down counterfeits, stopping copycats, and defending creative work from exploitation.
For artists, this means actively monitoring online marketplaces, social media platforms, and even rogue websites for the tell-tale signs of fake merchandise, unauthorised social accounts and the sale of counterfeit tickets.
Our online brand protection software and expertise enable us to identify these infringements quickly and take swift action to have them removed, safeguarding revenue streams and brand reputation. Discretion is key in our work, particularly with well-known artists and brands.
Our job is to make sure that what you build stays yours so you can keep creating, innovating, and inspiring.
Celebrating the contributions of creators, and those who protect them
This World IP Day, we honour the artists, inventors, entrepreneurs, and visionaries behind the creative solutions that move us. Who push boundaries. Who build futures. And who deserve the recognition – and protection – that IP rights provide.
WIPO, the UN’s specialised agency for creativity and innovation, is working globally to ensure that inventors, creators, and entrepreneurs have the legal and policy support they need to thrive. It’s a mission SnapDragon is proud to stand behind.
Because whether you’re composing a symphony, launching a brand, or designing a product, your ideas matter. And protecting them matters even more.
If you want to learn more about how our brand protection software can give you the confidence to bring your ideas to life, get in touch to book a demo.
Laura Sodaymay
SnapDragon | Brand Protection Specialist
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