28. August 2013
What Is This GEMA All About?
I’ve always wondered why 25-30% of the videos we try to watch in Germany are blocked. But there is this very kind message you see to your right. Regardless of the friendly words, it is down right annoying…
I ran across an article, from ResidentAdvisor.net, that was published recently and thought I’d share it with you. I guess it helps explain what is going on over at the GEMA headquarters…
What Is GEMA
The Gesellschaft für musikalische Aufführungs- und mechanische Vervielfältigungsrechte (Society for Musical Performing and Mechanical Reproduction Rights) is a collecting society for music licensing—that is, it collects fees for the use of copyrighted music and then redistributes those fees to the music’s authors. It’s in the business of “collective rights management,” representing the intellectual-property rights of its members in national and international markets. In Germany, if you’re running any sort of business that uses music—whether it’s a nightclub, a dance school or a supermarket—you’re legally required to pay licensing fees to GEMA. The organization currently represents approximately 64,000 composers, lyricists and music publishers in Germany as well as approximately 2,000,000 international rights-holders.
Read the full article HERE!
As Soon As I Can Find An Internet Address For GEMA That Works, I’ll Share It Here.