Small rights and grand rights: who does what?
If there is one matter that regularly triggers heated debate, it is the distinction between small rights and grand rights. Small rights relate to non-theatrical musical works and fall within SUISA’s sphere of competence, while grand rights relate to dramatico-musical works and certain types of ballet and are managed by the Société Suisse des Auteurs (SSA) or directly by publishers.
The distinction is frequently at issue because it relies on imprecise criteria which must be construed on a case-by-case basis. Our purpose here is to shed light on this rather hazy subject.