26 November 2013

GESAC welcomes the Collective Rights Management Directive (CRM Directive)

Press Release
Brussels, 26 November 2013

The European Parliament’s JURI Committee has today approved the Collective Rights Management Directive. This follows the agreement of the Trialogue earlier this month and marks a significant step towards the Directive being formally adopted early next year.
GESAC, on behalf of the 33 societies it represents across Europe, welcomes the agreement on the Directive by the JURI Committee. The Directive highlights the key role of collective management organisations (CMOs) in negotiating deals with licensees and securing fair remuneration to creators. It aims at setting European wide standards of transparency and governance, which are essential to ensure that relationships with rightholders and users are based on confidence.
GESAC has welcomed the CRM Directive from the beginning of its legislative journey. The completed text confirms the crucial role that author and rightsholder members play in overseeing the operations of their societies. It also sets a legal framework that accompanies the development of the online market for the cross-border use of music and the solutions already provided by CMOs to organise rights clearance in a manner that is efficient for users and respectful of rights holders’ interests.
CMOs are producing innovative solutions to assist the development of the online market both in the form of simplified licensing offers and in international collaborations driving greater efficiency in data management and better access to content. Common technical solutions and licensing hubs are examples of CMO leadership in this area. These solutions are crucial to swifter market development, and they offer up access to greater numbers of repertoires encouraging business users to access to the full range of creative content produced throughout the European Union.
GESAC regrets however that the opportunities to guarantee cultural diversity were not taken as necessary, since it is uncertain whether all repertoires will be offered by digital services on a pan-European basis.
GESAC General Manager Véronique Desbrosses commented, “This process has sparked the political interest for collective management and how CMOs contribute to economic growth and continuous cultural creation in the EU. Authors’ societies lead the way to meet the needs of the online market and are essential to ensure that authors and rights holders are adequately paid”.

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