Following a seven year block on tracks that come under GEMA’s protection, Youtube users in Germany can now stream thousands that were unavailable yesterday
Anyone living in Germany will know of the German royalty collection association and its 7 year feud with Youtube. GEMA have stood firm in their conviction that streaming sites like Youtube haven’t given fair remuneration to musicians, whose music their business models are ultimately reliant on. It’s a valiant position but the downside was the massive reduction in Youtube media available to German users. Now some common ground has been found and a deal struck to allow people to stream GEMA controlled tracks on the site.
According to the statement by the association, some 70,000 rights holders will receive backdated payment for “the exploitation of their musical works protected by copyright”. Germany’s protection of copyright is famously more stringent than in other countries due to GEMA. While the association and Youtube still have differing opinions on the legal liability of uploaders and hosting sites, it is hoped that a deal of this nature will pave the way for more similar agreements and better deal in general for musicians when it comes to streaming services.
(Via: Resident Advisor)
