German
authors rights society under the aegis of GEMA has advanced a licence agreement
with YouTube thereby settling a long lasting legal battle regarding royalties,
reports ITRealms..
The music
videos, ITRealms gathered, was blocked for copyright reasons through a caption
in Germany.
Sources at
GEMA, said the contract signed on November 1, 2016 constitutes “a milestone for
a fair remuneration of music authors in the digital age.”
In addition,
Broadband Tv reports that the amount YouTube pays per video watched by an
internet user in Germany has not been disclosed. In January 2016, GEMA lost a
legal case against YouTube at the regional appeal court in Munich in which the
society claimed 0.375 Euro cent per video. The figure both sides agreed on now
is likely to be lower, according to industry sources. The agreement also
contains a retroactive payment for videos watched since 2009, the year in which
the legal dispute began.
GEMA
represents around 70,000 music authors and publishers who are now going to
receive royalties for the usage of their musical works protected by copyright.
The ongoing court cases will be terminated, the previous verdicts will not come
into force.
Besides the
conventional ad-supported service, the agreement also covers the new
subscription service YouTube Red that YouTube already offers in the USA and
plans to roll out in Europe.
“The
conclusion of this contract with YouTube is a clear signal to all online
platforms that successfully build their business models on the musical works of
creatives,” Thomas Theune, director of broadcast and online at GEMA, said in
Munich. “Authors must be fairly remunerated for the exploitation of their
musical works. GEMA will continue to actively pursue this goal.”
There are
still, however, different legal positions held by YouTube and GEMA regarding
the question whether YouTube or the uploaders are responsible for the licensing
of the used musical works. GEMA calls for a political solution to establish a
fair legal framework on this issue.
Chuks Egbune/GEE
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