EU drafts bill to speed up music copyright pay

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EU drafts bill to speed up music copyright pay

July 10th, 2012

FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda

EuractivTV
10 July 2012

The European Union will present tomorrow (11 July) a draft bill to combat music piracy and strengthen copyright protection which would force companies that manage music rights to pay artists their royalties more speedily.

Musicians, however, say the draft law would only release a tiny fraction of the royalties they are owed and do nothing to unlock royalties made from gigging, clubs and private copying.

“It is time that the money collected in our name reaches the rightful author in a timely manner instead of being spent on marble car parks,” said Kelvin Smits from the artists’ lobby Younison, which represents big names like Pink Floyd, Radiohead and the Dutch trance DJ Armin van Buuren.

Tomorrow’s proposal is the Commission’s second attempt to bring collecting societies into line. These firms manage music rights and collect the fees due to singers, producers, composers and other contributors to a piece of music when it is played.

According to Reuters, EU regulators say poor financial management of collecting societies’ revenues – among other problems – has weakened copyright within the EU, helping to make Europe prime ground for websites offering pirated music.

The draft law would give collecting societies 12 months after the financial year in which a track was played to pay up – or about half the time companies currently have in many countries.

The regulators also demand more clarity on the fees musicians must pay the societies collecting their dues from radio stations or websites streaming their work.

The Commission’s attempts to combat piracy and protect copyright have faced some resistance from the public. Last week, the European Parliament rejected an international agreement to stop piracy because of concerns it would criminalize individuals sharing songs on the Internet – a decision seen as a victory of opponents of the deal, which had been negotiated by the Commission.