Cable Europe welcomes EU copyright review
July 17, 2008
Cable Europe, welcomed the decision of the European Commission to address the monopolistic way in which copyright collecting societies are organised in Europe. Cable Europe called for a new copyright collecting system that stimulates the development of new digital content services, and ‘future proofs' collections. Cable operators in Europe regard the Commission's decision (to order the end of agreements between rights collection societies to not compete across borders) as a first step in the right direction. But the industry is now seeking further action to create a new simple, efficient and homogeneous system throughout Europe that drastically reduces legal uncertainty and incremental costs associated with copyright management. This would stimulate trade in content to the benefit of both music authors and cable operators. The organisation says the current copyright regime is outdated and has numerous inefficiencies caused by the arcane organisation of copyright payments and collecting societies. The ruling of the European Commission demands for the collecting societies in Europe to end restrictions preventing composers and songwriters in one country from joining collecting societies in another. Additionally the decision demands an end to restrictions preventing companies in one country clearing copyrights via the collecting society in another country.