Frankie Sly the face of global creator rights campaign

Reggae singer Frankie Sly is stepping onto a different kind of stage.

The veteran entertainer has been named national spokesperson for the Creator Rights Movement (CRM), a growing coalition of artistes, songwriters, filmmakers and media professionals pushing for sweeping reforms to copyright law, streaming royalties and creators’ ownership rights. The appointment places Frankie Sly at the forefront of an international campaign advocating for perpetual copyright protection, fairer streaming contracts and greater education around intellectual property rights.

As part of his new role, he will join the organisation’s Creators’ Tour, a series of workshops and town halls designed to educate artistes, authors, journalists, producers, composers and musicians on copyright ownership, contract negotiation, registration and royalty rights.

“Having established artistes like Frankie Sly stand with us proves they recognise the severe challenges creators are facing today,” said Mark G. Goldstein, founder of CRM. “Their involvement shows they are eager to use their platforms to help us make a real difference.”

For Frankie Sly, the appointment carries particular significance. The artiste has been embroiled in a highly publicised copyright dispute involving reggae star Buju Banton, making issues of ownership and intellectual property especially personal.

“There are a lot of things in the pipeline so only time will tell how far this partnership can go. I am optimistic, because remember I learned my lesson the hard way, so by having access to highly educated partners in intellectual property, marketing and music who are willing to share their knowledge, great things can happen,” Frankie Sly said.

He added, “I am willing to take full advantage of this opportunity to learn more and educate my peers more. When it comes to copyright and intellectual property law, black musicians in the US and the Caribbean are at a big disadvantage because these creators frequently did not own their publishing. Their children were not entitled to residual royalties, so they were unable to create generational wealth despite creating great works that the world recognised...this is a big deal for me.”

The initiative also includes personalities such as songwriter and former Motown artiste, Ricky Abernathy of Lakeside, filmmaker Phabian Winfield, rapper and producer Shawn Mims—best known for the hit This Is Why I’m Hot—R&B artiste S.O.A.Q. (Abdul Qadaae Bey) and Akustix Andrew Donovan White.

CRM managing partner Kimberly Weekes argued that the issues extend beyond business disputes.

“What every creator around the world is experiencing is a human rights violation,” she said. “Frankie gives voice to millions who’ve been silenced by fine print and bad deals.”

It has been well documented that early black musicians were often coerced into signing away their master recordings and publishing rights for flat fees or predatory royalty rates, a legacy that directly impacts the wealth and financial legacy they can leave to their children. Additionally for decades, many black artistes were paid standard flat fees for foundational works that later generated millions. Many foundational black musicians were forced to sign agreements defining their music as a “work for hire,” which permanently strips authorship rights from the creator and grants them solely to the label.

At the heart of the movement is an online petition urging the US Congress to strengthen creators’ rights by granting authors and artistes perpetual ownership of their works while restricting perpetual corporate ownership of creative content.

The organisation is also calling on streaming platforms to renegotiate contracts to provide fairer per-stream royalty payments, transparent accounting practices and expanded audit rights for creators.