To mark World Intellectual Property Day (April 26) which this year is dedicated to music, we are talking about “music IP,” which includes not only copyright law (for songs and arrangements) but also unique inventions, utility models, industrial designs, and trademarks.
Music is an integral part of our lives. It’s everywhere: from underscoring melodies in coffee shops to soundtracks in movies and games, from memories to big concerts. Thanks to technology, the industry is constantly growing. According to a study MIDiA Research, global music industry revenues will reach $100 billion by 2031.
Intellectual property rights help to protect the industry, provide musicians and other market participants with fair compensation. They also facilitate interaction with other industries, such as film, fashion, advertising, etc.
By dedicating World IP Day 2025 to music, WIPO aims to promote the development of music in cultural and economic contexts. Ukraine has joined this initiative and is currently celebrating IP Week 2025 organized by the Ukrainian National Office for Intellectual Property and Innovations (UANIPIO/IP Office).
In the new issue of the Vynakhidlyvi.UA column, we tell you about the contribution of Ukrainian creators to the development of music.
More Ukrainian developments related to music, with links to the Special Information System (SIS) are in the article below.
According to Global Market Insights, in 2024 the global musical instruments market was estimated at $47.5 billion. And in 10 years, it is predicted that it will grow to $92.3 billion.
Having recovered from the pandemic, the world is once again plunged into a whirlwind of live events, performances, festivals and concerts. Stage musicians need many instruments – guitars, drums, keyboards, etc.
In Ukraine musical instruments have always been a part of the cultural code: bandura, trembita, kobza, pipe, cymbals… Our inventors know how to combine history and modernity filling instruments with meanings.
For example, we have the Kondrashevsky pipe and the method of its manufacture registered as an invention. The sound holes of this pipe are drilled according to the laws of musical acoustics. It also has a “G-sharp” sound hole with a valve which makes it possible to improve the performance technique especially in the third and fourth octaves.
The author of the invention is the famous multi-instrumentalist Anatolii Kondrashevskyi who, according to his friends, masterfully played not only the pipe, cymbals, trembita, etc., but also knew how to extract music from ordinary household items by “playing” on kitchen appliances or locksmith tools.
Another invention, the Florian stringed instrument, belongs to Florian Yuriev – a musician and art expert who devoted his life to studying the classical Italian tradition of violin making and reviving this tradition in Ukraine. He had encyclopedic knowledge of violin design and created more than two dozen musical instruments himself: violins, violas, cellos, double basses, etc.
The instrument patented by him (in fact, Florian is a modernized violin) is characterized by a strong sound and a beautiful timbre that can be used in any concert hall.
Do you know which musical instrument is the most popular in the world? Among the permanent world leaders are the harmonica, the piano and, of course, the guitar.
If you ask Ukrainian inventors and innovators, the guitar will definitely win. We have “guitar” copyright objects for every taste.
For example, we have registered an invention of a guitar with a transforming case. It has a detachable neck and a body in the form of hollow flaps which also serves as a case.
And here’s a useful model of a solid-body electric guitar with an acoustic guitar sound shaping system. Its body contains a cavity located under the strings near the neck, in which a horn with a sound pickup is installed. There is a switch above it that allows you to turn the acoustic effect on and off.
By the way, one of the most famous manufacturers and sellers of musical instruments in Ukraine is the Trembita factory, which has a registered trademark “Trembita Guitars”. The factory was founded in Lviv in 1946 and specializes in guitars but also produces folk instruments including banduras.
But there is another “Trembita” – a music store that also has a registered trademark – Trembita Orfei. This music store is listed in the National Register of Records of Ukraine as the oldest musical instrument store in Ukraine – it is 114 years old! But until the 1960s, it was called Melodiya.
According to Global Market Insights, the spare parts and accessories segment earned $22.77 billion in 2024. And by 2034, it is expected to grow to $45.57 billion.
Without strings, pedals, picks, straps, holders, stands, frets, sticks, music stands, microphones and adapters, there will be no music although they need to be regularly updated and replaced. And Ukrainian creators have something to say about this.
For example, the invention of a device for stringed musical instruments – a clamp that helps to temporarily reduce the working length of all strings on a guitar. The invention makes it easier to move the stand with the clamping device along the neck of the musical instrument during playing.
Meanwhile, a utility model of a device for changing the timbre of a stringed musical instrument allows you to create a short, muffled sound (staccato) without changing the pitch. It acts on the strings through a special elastic plate with cutouts.
The invention of the acoustic microphone shield helps to isolate the microphone from extraneous sounds to accurately record only the desired sound (for example, a specific instrument or voice), reduce the influence of noise from other sources, and quickly mount and adjust the position of the microphone and shield.
A utility model of an artificial layered material for musical instrument soundboards allows you to get a sound that is difficult to distinguish from classical instruments made of natural wood. The innovative material consists of alternating soft and hard layers that mimic the natural texture of wood, providing excellent acoustics while maintaining strength and stability.
Even the method of processing the wire for musical strings (utility model patent) is important. Due to the high-speed heating of the outer layer of the wire and controlled cooling, special structures are formed on the surface that improve its acoustic properties. This allows for higher string strength and maintaining their tonal balance, which is important for professional musical instruments.
From a musical compass to a jukebox
Statistics show that more and more people in the world are striving to learn music. For example, in the United States the number of people who have ever learned to play a musical instrument is 66% and among young people this indicator reaches 71%. And here, of course, we can’t do without inventions that make it easier to master this art.
In Ukraine, for example, we have a patent for a utility model of a musical compass. This is a device consisting of two parts: a disk with music and a rotating star with seven rays. It helps beginners to better understand how major and minor scales are formed and instantly identify the signs of alteration.
A utility model of an instructional sticker for a musical instrument belongs to the same area. It is attached to the neck of an instrument and helps students quickly and visually learn the frets of instruments such as guitar, banjo, or cello. By being placed under the strings, the sticker is less likely to wear off and retains information for longer.
However, of course, nothing compares to the number of different creative inventions that work to help us all relax and unwind to music.
For example, it is very difficult to find a person who does not have headphones. The industry has made sure that they satisfy every whim:
And if your mood, on the contrary, encourages you to demonstrate your musical tastes to others, there is a patented utilityl model of a jukebox containing a computer, display, information storage unit, money receiver, control panel, speaker system, etc. The Ukrainian jukebox is different because it is equipped with an electronic control unit and a special interface. You throw a coin to order a track and feel like the main character of your own movie. The karaoke function allows you to sing along with the music, mixing your voice with the track being played.
Of course, we shouldn’t forget that the music we listen to every day is also protected by copyright.
So, take a look at the SIS to find out who owns the copyrights to your favourites:
And by the way, the stage names of performers (pseudonyms) as well as the names of bands that we search for on these streams every day are nothing more than registered trademarks. For example:
TNMK, etc.
And finally, perhaps the most unexpected information for many: stage images and concert outfits are also protected as intellectual property. A striking (in every sense) example is “Verka Serduchka’s star” or rather a headdress registered as an industrial design.
For reference:
#Vynakhidlyvi.UA is a project of the Ukrainian IP Office that helps the community to make sure that intellectual property is hidden in almost everything that surrounds us and that we use every day.
We tell you about the intellectual property rights registered in the Special Information System of the UANIPIO (SIS) so that you can get a superpower – to see IP in each thing and learn about the importance of intellectual property registration.
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