This article examines the international legal regime that governs
cultural commodities by providing an up-to-date stocktaking in the field.
In doing so, this paper focuses on the music industry, both as the general
backdrop and as a context in which to observe the evolution of the current
regulatory regime. It includes a review of the history of the
commoditization process of musical goods, the requisite legislative and
judicial decisions, the international regulatory environment, and a
tripartite case study. By reviewing various approaches and examining
several recent arenas where the issues have been implicated, the author
demonstrates that, in its current form, the international copyright regime
is not sufficiently supportive of diversity in cultural property.