Aznavour, Gibb, threaten royalties ‘war’
p2pnet news Music | Politics:- Possible changes to European music royalty laws might dissuade new musicians from creating new music, say two not-so-golden oldies.
The European Commission is trying to decide whether or not to, “end the monopoly of performing rights societies, which collect royalties for artists,” says the BBC.
But, “Music stars are worried that changes may mean a reduction in the amount record companies pay to music authors,” says the story.
Among them are France’s Shahnour Varenagh Aznavurjian, aka Charles Aznavour (left), and the Bee Gees’ Robin Gibb, aka Robin Gibb, who, “yesterday threatened to ‘declare war’ and pull their works off the airwaves if the European Union proceeds to change the way music royalties are collected,” says the Financial Times, going on >>>
The European Commission’s antitrust arm is believed to be pushing for a decision which would declare certain reciprocal arrangements between national music royalty collecting societies for the re-transmission of music by cable, satellite and the internet to be anti-competitive and illegal.
This widely leaked finding, which has already been vetted by national competition authorities, would need to be approved by the European Commission before it could take effect. Yesterday, an official said that the Commission could make a decision later this month.
Gibb, representing the European Composer and Songwriter Alliance, “argued that if major online services are able to negotiate lower regionwide fees, artists may get less for their songs despite seeing them distributed more widely,” says the New York Times, quoting him as stating:
“On a fundamental scale it’s a human right that someone who writes a piece of work should have control of it.”
A change, “could discourage newer songwriters from producing tomorrow’s hits,” he states.
Says the BBC:
“At the moment, most composers and songwriters sign up to their domestic collecting societies, which collect money from commercial music users on their behalf. On an international level, each national European collecting society has a relationship with the other 25 representative bodies.
“Commercial companies which want to distribute music across Europe normally have to sign deals with a number of these societies across the EU zone.
“In practice it means that if a French radio station plays music by a UK artist, the French national collecting society collects the revenue. It then passes it to the UK’s national society, MCPS-PRS, which subsequently distributes it to the writer.
“Critics believe that this process is too complex and gives the societies undue influence over music rights and distribution.”
[Charles who? Robin who?]
.
.Stumble It!
BBC – Stars back music copyright system , July 3, 2008
Financial Times – Songwriters threaten ‘war’ over plans to alter royalties collection, July 4, 2008
New York Times – E.U. Hears From a Bee Gee, July 4, 2008
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July 4th, 2008 at 11:48 am
“In practice it means that if a French radio station plays music by a UK artist, the French national collecting society collects the revenue. It then passes it to the UK’s national society, MCPS-PRS, which subsequently distributes it to the writer.”
And how many times do they skim off the top? Are these collective societies regulated somehow? Who owns them?
If they all skim off the top it sounds like a good scam. I owe joe in ontario $100, but I take off my $10 delivery fee and pass it to my cousin vinney, he takes his $10 fee and passes it to his cousin tony, ….. until joe in ontario gets his $1.00
July 5th, 2008 at 2:07 am
finaly me (mr gibb) had something to say too!
(*me* not really him, but I was reminded about that song when i read that Mr. Gibb thougth to say something.)
“Wenn man keine Ahnung hat, einfach mal Fresse halten” — Dieter Nuhr (german Comedian)
Someone crushed Mr. Gibb’s testicles again lately?
July 5th, 2008 at 2:11 am
Readers write,
no that will not work that way, once SuX is involved “joe in ontario” is an unfould artist (UFO) and he will get not even 1 canadian dollar!
*SNCR*
P.S. while we are at SUX again, how’s the “find an artist”-action doing?
Jon you willing to get an update from Fred on that issue?
July 6th, 2008 at 3:29 am
These are the problems of the performance rights societies, the so called composer and publisher associations:
-Full control is by the publishers. The composer part of the title is for propaganda only.
-All accounting is done in dark back rooms. Never visible to the composers.
-There is no method to determine how the money is distributed.
-The so called sampling done by some is a scam. Such sampling is impossible.
-The play log submitted by radio stations is pure fiction.
-No one audits anyone.
-The license issued are for blind (called blanket, officially) repertoires, that is a list of unknown songs from unknown countries from unknown composers.
-Practically all the money is retained by the music publishers.
-Radio stations and others admit that they pay is protection money.
-The worldwide scam is ran from New York City. By the music mafia.
July 7th, 2008 at 5:32 am
Thinker , I hope youre wearing your silver foil hat or theyll hear you
July 7th, 2008 at 6:35 am
” Thinker , I hope youre wearing your silver foil hat or theyll hear you ”
Thinker is absolutely correct about the way collective society’s work.
You don’t really know much about how the ‘industry’ portion works,
do you ?
Calling people who are correct paranoid is a sure way to prove they are
right.