Chapter IV: Provisions common to performers and phonogram producers

Articles in this section · 6

Article L214-1

French Intellectual Property CodeIn force

Updated 8 Nov 2023

When a phonogram has been published for commercial purposes, the performer and the producer may not oppose:

1° To its direct communication in a public place, as long as it is not used in a performance;

2° To its simultaneous and complete broadcasting and cable distribution, as well as its reproduction strictly reserved for these purposes, carried out by or on behalf of audiovisual communication undertakings with a view to soundtracking their own programmes broadcast on their airwaves as well as on those of the audiovisual communication undertakings that pay the equitable remuneration.

In all other cases, it is the responsibility of the producers of said programmes to comply with the exclusive right of holders of related rights provided for in Articles L. 212-3 and L. 213-1.

These uses of published phonograms for commercial purposes, regardless of where these phonograms were fixed, give rise to a right to remuneration for the benefit of performers and producers.

This remuneration is paid by the persons who use the phonograms published for commercial purposes under the conditions mentioned in 1°, 2° and 3° of this article.

It is based on the revenue from exploitation or, failing that, assessed on a flat-rate basis in the cases provided for in Article L. 131-4.

It is divided equally between performers and phonogram producers.

3° To its communication to the public by a radio service, within the meaning of Article 2 of Law No. 86-1067 of 30 September 1986 on freedom of communication, with the exception of radio services whose main programme is dedicated for the most part to a single performer, author, composer or is derived from a single phonogram.

In all other cases, it is the responsibility of online public communication services to comply with the exclusive rights of holders of related rights under the conditions set out in articles L. 212-3, L. 213-1 and L. 213-2. This applies to services that have implemented functionalities enabling a user to influence the content of the programme or the sequence of its communication.

Mariela Petrova

Need help applying this article to your situation?

A registered French Lawyer explains what applies to your business — in English, fixed fee.

within 48h

Fixed Fee

Talk to a lawyer
Common Questions

Working with a corporate lawyer in France — Q&A

Any time a strategic decision changes how the company is owned, governed or contractually bound — incorporation, fundraising, M&A, restructuring, shareholder agreements, or major commercial contracts. Earlier engagement always costs less than later remediation.

A notary (notaire) is a public officer who authenticates specific deeds (mainly real-estate transfers and certain family-law acts). A corporate lawyer (avocat) advises on strategy, negotiates and drafts company documents, and represents you in disputes. The two roles complement rather than overlap.

Yes — most of our clients are foreign suppliers, investors or holding entities. We bridge the gap between French law and your home jurisdiction's expectations and deliver everything bilingually.

The SAS (Société par Actions Simplifiée) is the default choice for most international structures: flexible governance, single shareholder allowed, no minimum capital, and works cleanly with foreign holding entities. We assess SARL, SA, SCI on the merits when the situation calls for it.

Yes — communications with a French avocat are protected by the secret professionnel (Article 66-5 of the Law of 31 December 1971). This protection is broader than the common-law attorney-client privilege and applies to written and oral exchanges.

We work on fixed fees for clearly scoped engagements (incorporation, contract drafting, audits) and on monthly retainers for ongoing advisory. Hourly billing is the exception, not the default. You always know the cost before work starts.

Typical timeline is 2–3 weeks from KYC kick-off to RCS registration, assuming standard documentation. Holding-company structures, foreign-shareholder identification or in-kind contributions can extend this — we flag the gating items at the first meeting.

Absolutely. We routinely coordinate with your in-house counsel, expert-comptable or notaire — pragmatic collaboration is the norm, not the exception. We send them everything they need to do their part without duplicating work.

Mariela Petrova

Mariela Petrova

Avocate au Barreau de Paris

Toque #C2396

15+ Years In Corporate Practice

English · French · Russian

Ready When You Are

Talk To A Corporate
Lawyer In France.

A 20–30 minute call, in English, to scope the engagement. No obligation, no preliminary fee. You will leave the call with a clear view of what the work will cover and what it will cost.

First EngagementFixed Fee

Talk to a French lawyer.

Reply within 24 hours.

Communications protected by professional secrecy — secret professionnel de l'avocat, Article 66-5 of the Law of 31 December 1971.

Continue Reading

Related corporate services in France

01 / Setup

Setting up a French company

Choose between SAS, SARL, SA or SCI — and structure your first French entity around how you actually plan to operate.

Read More
02 / Operating

French commercial contracts

Distribution, agency, supply, services and IP licences — drafted around the protections French law actually gives.

Read More
03 / Disputes

Business disputes & litigation

Shareholder conflicts, commercial breaches and pre-litigation strategy — handled by the same team that knows the file.

Read More