Staying in Germany, and German publishing royalty collecting society GEMA has appealed that European Commission ruling from back in July which accused Europe's collecting societies of anticompetitive practices. They have asked the European Court Of First Instance to overturn the ruling, and to suspend all action that has stemmed from it until the court appeal has been heard.
GEMA's appeal follows the speech made by Bee Gee Robin Gibb at Popkomm last week in his position as Chairman of CISAC, the global body for collecting societies. He said the EC's July ruling was actually stopping collecting societies from collaborating to offer competing pan-European licences, the very thing European officials say they want. Others in the collecting society community also argue that the EC's moves will discriminate against the smaller collecting societies, and have a detrimental affect on those countries' song-writing communities as a result.
Confirming the appeal, GEMA's Executive Board Chairman Harald Heker told reporters: "With this step, GEMA is seeking to protect the current system of national one-stop shops for music rights in the online, satellite and cable transmission markets in the interests of both the holders and users of these rights. The competition being sought by the Commission as a consequence of the abolition of the territorial restrictions in the reciprocation contracts would inevitably result in a decline in copyright royalties, something which is not in the interests of the copyright holders and music publishers which GEMA represents and would result in an irretrievable loss of cultural diversity".