The ongoing wranglings between the recorded music sector and the publishers continues. You'll remember that the BPI has taken royalty collection society MCPS/PRS to a copyright tribunal over their demands for a bigger slice of the pie on digital music sales than with physical CD sales. Well, now the Universal Music Group has filed a complaint with the European Commission, alleging that the royalty collection bodies are working together and conspiring against the record labels to force their cut of record sales up to their desired 12%. Universal claim that the royalty collection agencies are creating a "form of monopoly" in order to win this battle, but that in doing so they risk "restricting and distorting" the growth of the digital music sector. According to the FT, details of the complaint will now go to all of the agencies accused - responses from them can, presumably, be expected in the coming weeks.
Oct 11, 2005
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1 min read
Universal accuse collection societies of restricting digital growth
Universal Music Group has complained to the European Commission that royalty collection societies are conspiring to force up digital royalty rates, forming what it calls a monopoly.