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Statue of Themis on a flag of European Union. Judge's gavel in the background

EU Lobbying Update: Neighboring Rights and the RAAP Ruling&nbsp;In the music industry, a significant development is unfolding in the EU. Following a 2020 EU Court of Justice ruling, there's a growing debate over neighboring rights (NR) payments to non-EU rightsholders, particularly US artists and labels.The Ruling: The court decided that EU member states can't individually exclude non-EU rightsholders from NR payments. This implies that American artists should receive their share of NR royalties.Current Situation: Only a few countries have followed this ruling. Most European Collective Management Organizations (CMOs) are adhering to the principle of reciprocity – paying foreign artists only if their countries reciprocate. Consequently, many US artists are not receiving payments in these countries.Lobbying for Change: Various European CMOs and music industry bodies are lobbying for an EU-wide legislative change regarding NR (read more: https://www.impalamusic.org/european-performance-income-us-repertoire/). The goal is to align payments with the principle of reciprocity.Differing Views: Not all agree, however. GVL in Germany, for example, notes that US artists are already being paid in several other countries, including Spain, Portugal, Italy, and the Czech Republic. A Europe-wide reciprocity policy could negatively affect royalty collections and increase administrative costs in these countries.Divided Opinions: Europe remains divided on this issue, and a resolution may take time. Meanwhile, US artists and labels are in a state of uncertainty in most European countries.Stay tuned for more updates on this evolving situation.

EU Lobbying Update: Neighboring Rights and the RAAP Ruling

Flag of France sticking in a variety of american banknotes.(series)

Tax on streaming in FranceThis text discusses the implementation of a streaming tax in France to fund the Centre national de la musique (CNM). The government has decided to tax the revenue of streaming platforms, aiming to provide sustainable and supportive financing for the music industry. However, the Adami organization emphasizes the ongoing issue of fair value distribution and artist compensation in streaming. The recent strikes by actors and writers in the United States and a report by the European Parliament's Culture Committee highlight these concerns.In France, an agreement was reached 18 months ago for a minimum compensation guarantee (GRM), but Adami fears that the new streaming tax might negatively affect artist revenues, contrary to the GRM's intent to improve them.&nbsp;Adami is vigilant to ensure that this tax does not impact artist incomes and calls for better support for artists by the CNM, now that it has stable funding. Additionally, Adami notes the decline in revenues from private copying, a significant income source for artists, and states that its future financial support for the CNM will depend on the performance of private copying revenue and fair compensation.

Tax on streaming in France

Exciting news in the world of music and intellectual property rights! After the notable sale of <a data-mce-href="https://www.sessionstudio.com/" href="https://www.sessionstudio.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Session Studio </a>to SALT by ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus, <a id="ember1899" class="ember-view" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/niclas-molinder-aa29324/" data-mce-href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/niclas-molinder-aa29324/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Niclas Molinder</a>, and producer Max Martin, their dedication to supporting creators hasn't waned. In a significant move, the trio, through the Music Rights Awareness Foundation, has joined hands with the <a data-mce-href="https://www.wipo.int/portal/en/index.html" href="https://www.wipo.int/portal/en/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Intellectual Property Organisation – WIPO.</a> Together, they have launched CLIP - Creators Learn Intellectual Property. <a data-mce-href="https://goclip.org/en/" href="https://goclip.org/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CLIP</a> is designed to educate creators about the many aspects of intellectual property (IP) rights and management. Having spent some time exploring CLIP, we can confidently say it offers a wealth of concise, well-written, and relevant information. For those concerned about it being dry, rest assured: CLIP provides real-life insights and curated content, including videos, from seasoned musicians and mentors. Is there a downside? Perhaps one is that the information appears to be written from a European perspective. For instance, the page on 'Rights in Sound Recordings and Performances' states, 'CMOs collect some remuneration rights for songwriters, performers, and other rights holders that are non-waivable and not transferable.' While this may be true in Europe, in the US, it's quite common to assign or transfer one's rights to a third (for-profit) party, as per the Work-Made-For-Hire doctrine. Moreover, we should consider that many artists, particularly younger ones, may not actively research IP topics on a website. They often prefer learning through videos. A dedicated YouTube channel might therefore be more effective in reaching a broader artist community. That said, CLIP is a great initiative and deserves praise. Every step towards the right direction is valuable!"

And the fight for creators goes on

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At Music Biz 2023, Zanoise Talent will be represented by Ernst Jacob Bakker (partner). Ernst will be taking part in the panel discussion&nbsp;“<a data-mce-href="https://app.socio.events/MTk2OTE/Agenda/304620/Session/78" href="https://app.socio.events/MTk2OTE/Agenda/304620/Session/78">Everything You Need To Know About Neighbouring Rights</a>” Other participants are Anjula Singh CFO Soundexchange) and Teri Nelson Carpenter (CEO Reel Muzik Werks). Gillian Hobson (SVP Global Rights Operations at Universal Music) will be moderating the discussion.

Zanoise speaking at Music Biz 2023

Keyboard key close up with word TECH NEWS

At the beginning of February (2023) Google, Meta, Spotify, Streamz and Sony Music went to the Constitutional Court to challenge certain aspects of the new Belgian copyright law.Amongst others they want to strike the newly made amendments to the law on the basis of which artists will share in online (streaming) income via article XI.228/4 in the Code of Economic Law.Obviously, collecting societies like Sacd and PlayRight are seriously concerned about the impact of a possible annulment. Belgian PRO Sabam has now requested the Constitutional Court to create clarity and legal certainty about the legal framework of online rights for creatives.Very curious to see how this pans out. Stay tuned!

Big tech try to claw back artist rights in Belgium!

Band performs on stage, rock music concert in a nightclub. Authentic shooting with high iso in challenging lighting conditions. A little bit grain and blurred motion effects.

🇪🇸 Spain takes the crown: AIE collects a whopping EUR 5.6 million from platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and even Netflix!&nbsp;🇩🇪 Germany: GVL collects streaming royalties from platforms like YouTube and Facebook, and they’re quite ok in terms of other online income!🇫🇷 France leads the way in artist support: A recent industry-wide agreement ensures featured artists receive fair percentages and fees, with session musicians also getting a piece of the pie!&nbsp;🇭🇺 Hungary finally gets rewarded: After years of legal battles, EJI has successfully collected streaming royalties from platforms like Spotify, with the first distribution taking place in 2022.🇧🇪 Belgium: artists prevail! Playright collects a separate remuneration for artists on platforms like Spotify, Netflix, and more, even on user-generated content platforms like TikTok and Twitch.&nbsp;🇳🇱 The Netherlands: unfortunately, lobbying efforts to ensure a separate legally defined remuneration right for artists have not been successful. It seems more likely that artists unions and record labels will reach some sort of agreement to raise the pay-out levels!&nbsp;

Zanoise blog

EU Lobbying Update: Neighboring Rights and the RAAP Ruling

Tax on streaming in France

And the fight for creators goes on

Zanoise speaking at Music Biz 2023

Big tech try to claw back artist rights in Belgium!

Streaming Royalties: Grand Tour of How Artists Get Paid