The collapse of the system of reciprocal representation agreements

Voor de auteursrechtelijke-beheersorganisatieliefhebber. Drie beschikking op bezwaren van collectieven tegen de reorganisatieplannen van de Europese Commissie. (Nederlandse vertalingen nog niet beschikbaar).

1- GvEA, 14 november 2008, beschikking in zaak T-411/08 R, Artisjus Magyar (...)  Iroda Egyesület tegen Europese Commissie

2- GvEA, 14 november 2008, beschikking in zaak T-422/08 R, SACEM tegen Europese Commissie

3- GvEA, 14 november 2008, beschikking in zaak T-401/08 R,  Säveltäjäin Tekijänoikeustoimisto Teosto ry tegen Europese Commissie

4- GvEA, 14 november 2008, beschikking in zaak T-410/08 R,  GEMA tegen Europese Commissie

5- GvEA, 14 november 2008, beschikking in zaak T-398/08 R,  Stowarzyszenie Autorów ZAiKS tegen Europese Commissie

Beschikkingen zijn zeer overeenstemmend en allen afwijzend wegens gebrek aan speodeisend belang. Even kort in citaten uit de enige Engelstalige beschikking (Artijus):

“By this application for interim measures, the applicant, a Hungarian association for the collective management of copyright, seeks partial suspension of the operation of Commission Decision C(2008) 3435 final of 16 July 2008 relating to a proceeding under Article 81 of the EC Treaty and Article 53 of the EEA Agreement (Case COMP/C2/38.698 – CISAC) (‘the contested decision’). (…) The contested decision concerns the conditions of management and licensing of public performance rights for musical works. It is addressed to the 24 collecting societies established in the European Economic Area (EEA) which are members of the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC), one of which is the applicant.

(…) In the contested decision the Commission challenges the lawfulness of certain clauses in the reciprocal representation agreements, namely the clause on the membership of the member authors and the exclusivity clause, and of the collecting societies’ concerted practice concerning the territorial delineation of the mandate to grant licences, the result of which is territorial exclusivity. According to the Commission, those clauses and that practice are contrary to Article 81 EC.”

Findings of the President of the Court: “43. Accordingly, in the absence of specific factors put forward by the applicant, its bald assertion as to the collapse of the system of reciprocal representation agreements and the serious financial damage which it would suffer as a result, in terms of threatening its existence, does not justify suspending the operation of the contested decision.”

Lees meer in de de arresten Artisjus, SACEM, Säveltäjäin, GEMA & Zaiks.