EUROPE (CelebrityAccess) The European Composer and Songwriter Alliance has appealed to the European Commission to take action against the Greek government for taking over its national rights collection system.
The ECSA submitted its complaint to the EC’s competition directorate general stating that creator colleagues in Greece are “being prevented from accessing performance income from their music” according to IQ magazine. The complaint is supported by the International Council of Creators of Music.
The Hellenic Society for the Protection of Intellectual Property in Greece had its license revoked last year after a scandal involving unpaid royalties and financial mismanagement. A rival collective rights society tried to fill the position but the government took it over, creating the Hellenic Copyright Organisation.
“The current difficulties in Greece affect first and foremost Greek music authors but also all music creators,” ECSA president, Alfons Karabuda said. “Europe’s music creators are the bedrock of a vital, diverse and important economic and cultural sector. They deserve an efficient management of their works and the protections of the law just as Greek taxpayers deserve to be confident their tax revenues are being applied in a sound, legitimate and transparent manner.”
CIAM president Eddie Schwartz added, “As creators we stand with our colleagues to ensure that going forward, creators have a sound and lawful administrative system in Greece on which they can rely for their livelihoods. Every music creator should affiliate with the collective management organisation (CMO) of their choice.”
h/t IQ
