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Core Facts
1 July 2009 - Brussels - Musicians' advocacy group, Younison, gathered together with 150 members of the music community in Antwerp yesterday to demand that artists receive their fair share of digital music revenues. Younison, in partnership with artists and music managers, has also announced that it is building a case against two major European rights collection societies based on information on failings in distributing digital music revenues to artists.
The group's case is being built against Belgian musicians' and authors' collection societies SABAM and SACEM. It reflects a groundswell of frustration among music artists that although digital revenues are being gathered by collection societies, there can be unacceptable and unaccountable delays in distributing them to the artists themselves.
Legal action could form part of Younison's ongoing campaign, supported by its ‘Stand Up for Your Rights' Charter, to help artists seize control of the collection and distribution of digital revenues away from vested interests dominated by large record labels and rights collection societies.
Challenging policymakers on behalf of musicians across Europe, Younison is also working to force the publication of the Belgian government's review on the current framework for collecting societies - delayed for more than six years.
Younison is demanding that European governments ensure greater transparency, accountability and control for artists.
Quotes
Kelvin Smits, director of Younison said: "Collecting societies, whose mission is to collect revenues on our behalf, have been gathering large sums of money for the last years without redistributing them to artists. More than ever, change is needed. It is crucial to ensure that collecting societies become more transparent in the way they collect, spend and redistribute the revenues they administer on behalf of the artists. As digital music knows no frontiers on the Internet, Europe needs to adopt high accountability standards obliging all national collecting societies to provide timely reports and payments to music artists and members. This can only be achieved with the support of European lawmakers and through court action if necessary."
Tom Barman, Belgian musician and film director: "This indicates the urgent need for further accountability and transparency of the system. Already more than 600 artists have signed the Younison Charter and yesterday's event demonstrates how important this issue is becoming for the artists' community."
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http://blogit.realwire.com/?ReleaseID=12896
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