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70 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest
We’re keeping our fingers crossed for all the performers at the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest final in Vienna
A song can be a bridge
In 2026, the Eurovision Song Contest will celebrate its 70th anniversary. What began as a European television project in the 1950s has long since become one of the world’s biggest live music events. Under the motto “United by Music”, the ESC today stands for far more than just a competition: it represents pop culture, media spectacle and a globally connected entertainment format. Behind the scenes, a complex system of trademark, design and copyright laws ensures that identity, content and creative works remain protected. And sometimes songs also build bridges, because ultimately, the Song Contest has always been, and continues to be, about peaceful exchange and a sense of community.
The EBU: the backbone of the Eurovision Song Contest
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), founded in 1950, organises the Eurovision Song Contest and coordinates the international exchange of broadcast content. Major events in its early years, such as the live broadcast of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II (1953), established it as a key player in European media history. This was followed in 1956 by the first Eurovision Song Contest – the starting point of a success story that continues to this day.
The EBU is protected as a word mark EM 011436326 and is also synonymous with technological innovation in the international broadcasting sector.
United by Music – the common thread running through the Eurovision Song Contest
Registered IR trademark 1806449, filed in 2023
"United by Music" has been the central motto of the Eurovision Song Contest since 2023. Since then, this motto has shaped the contest’s international brand communication. The slogan is a recurring design element that ensures a consistent and harmonious visual identity. In conjunction with the other brand elements of the ESC, it serves as a linguistic framework that makes the format recognisable across national and broadcast boundaries.
The sound of the ESC: the "Te Deum" as an audio brand
EM 000907527
For over 60 years, the prelude to Marc-Antoine Charpentier's "Te Deum" has opened the Eurovision Song Contest. Of the six versions of the work, only four have survived. The famous "Prelude (Marche en rondeau)" was even registered as a sound mark in 1998 (EM 000907527).
Pop culture on the Eurovision stage
Another global ESC moment followed in 1988 with Céline Dion (including EM 002383107), who won for Switzerland and later became an international superstar.
Germany: a mix of pop music, entertainment and strategy
No account of the history of the Eurovision Song Contest would be complete without him: Ralph Siegel, one of the contest’s most prolific composers, epitomises the classic era of the competition. With "Dschinghis Khan" (1979), he created one of the most iconic ESC productions of all time – a mix of music, costume spectacle and instantly recognisable style that became a brand in its own right (DE 3020211147952, filed on 1 September 2021). We can look forward to seeing what else is in store!
In the late 1990s, the German perspective on the ESC changed: Guildo Horn brought irony, Schlager and performance art to the stage in 1998 with "Guildo hat euch lieb!", turning the contest into a TV event that straddled emotion and self-parody. In DPMAregister there are numerous registrations for "Gildo Horn" from 1998.
registered trade mark DE 305746073
Stefan Raab ultimately transformed the Eurovision Song Contest in Germany into a strategically conceived media format. With entries such as ‘Wadde hadde dudde da’ (2000, trademark 39975874, cancelled in 2020), he blurred the boundaries between music, comedy and entertainment and had a lasting impact on modern ESC production. Thus, Raab and Lena Meyer-Landrut brought Germany its second and, to date, last victory in 2010. The trademarks "Lena" (DE 302010042635) and "Lena Meyer-Landrut" (DE 302010043108) have, however, since been cancelled. At the same time, Raab launched the Bundesvision Song Contest, which was held annually from 2005 to 2015; he hosted it throughout and it was conceived as the national counterpart to the ESC.
Joy Fleming – a voice to remember
Looking back over 70 years of the Eurovision Song Contest, Joy Fleming is one of the most memorable German entries. In 1975, she performed "Ein Lied kann eine Brücke sein" (a song can be a bridge) and delivered one of the most powerful vocal performances in the history of the ESC, even though she only managed 17th place in the competition. Her performance is still regarded today as an example of how impact and memory often transcend the mere result. The name of the artist, who died far too young, was registered as a trademark in 2018 (DE 3020182172982).
You can find out more about the history of the ESC at 
eurovision.de.
Focus on copyrights
In addition to trade mark rights, copyrights also play an important role for the ESC. They protect the creative accomplishments of the composers, lyricists and artists and form the basis for the international collaboration and diversity which make the ESC so special.
Three questions concerning "music and copyright"
You would like to host your own song contest, adapt "Merci Cherie" or simply attend an ESC party wearing a fancy glitter costume, singing covers of "Waterloo", "Ein bisschen Frieden" and "Satellite"? Then you will find the answers to all your questions here.
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Can I simply cover a piece of music, and what do I have to bear in mind?
Pieces of music are works protected by copyright - therefore, if you want to perform (cover) someone else's piece of music in public, for example at a local fair or a concert, you will usually need the appropriate licenses. A license is the right to use a copyrighted work in a certain way, for example to play a certain piece of music in public. In these cases, you can often contact collecting societies, such as GEMA in Germany. If the author is not represented by a collecting society, you should clarify the use directly with him or her (or the right holders). If the performance is not in public but for example at a private party, no license is required.
By the way: Even if you are planning a public event with pieces of music that are either old and therefore no longer protected by copyright (authors deceased more than 70 years ago) or if the respective authors are not represented by GEMA, it is advisable to register the event with GEMA. This is because, according to case law, it is generally assumed that GEMA may enforce certain rights of the author or right holder, such as the performance rights to entertainment music. And it is also presumed that the works may be protected by copyright. The registration enables GEMA to check whether the pieces of music may be played without a license (and therefore free of charge).
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What do I have to bear in mind if I want to adapt a well-known song?
If you want to adapt a copyrighted song or change the melody, this is referred to as an "arrangement". Publication or use is then generally only permitted if the author or right holder has agreed to it. Furthermore, you can only have the arrangement itself registered with GEMA if this prerequisite is fulfilled.
It is always permitted to adapt pieces of music if the respective term of protection has expired. In Germany, this is the case if at least 70 years have passed since the year of the author's death.
For example, the composer Arnold Schönberg died on 13 July 1951, which means that his works have been in the public domain since 1 January 2022 and that these (original) versions may be freely adapted. However, arrangements by third parties may still be protected by copyright.
Which rules apply if a piece of music has several authors? Not every piece of music is from only one singer-songwriter - it is therefore not uncommon for a piece of music to have several authors. For example, there may be several authors of the song lyrics or several composers of a melody. The work is then in the public domain if the longest living co-author passed away 70 years ago. This also applies to what is referred to as "musical compositions with lyrics", where both contributions were created specifically for the respective musical composition with lyrics.
But be careful: The singer is not always the author! You cannot simply change a song 70 years after the death of the performer, but you always have to check for the authors and whether they passed away at least 70 years ago.
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How do I find the authors if I do not know who wrote the piece of music?
In this case, you can address music publishers or collecting societies. If authors are represented by a collecting society, a look into their databases can also be helpful.
Figure 1: ORF; further images: DPMA from DPMAregister
Last updated: 8 May 2026
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