Hardrock69
01-11-2011, 10:13 AM
http://www.canoe.com/cgi-bin/imprimer.cgi?langue=A&id=818616
Record labels to pay $47.5M to songwriters
January 10, 2011 | 14:39
Stefania Moretti- Money
Four of Canada’s biggest record labels have agreed to pay songwriters and music publishers $47.5 million in damages for copyright infringement and overdue royalties to settle a class action lawsuit.
Sony Music Entertainment Canada Inc., EMI Music Canada Inc., Universal Music Canada Inc. and Warner Music Canada Co. will pay the plaintiffs, led by the estate of legendary jazz musician Henry “Chet” Baker. He died in 1988.
The 2008 class action alleges that the record companies “exploited” music owners by reproducing and selling in excess of 300,000 song titles without securing licenses from the copyright owners and/or without paying the associated royalty payments.
The record companies knowingly did so and kept a so-called “pending list” of unlicensed reproductions, setting aside $50 million for the issue, if it ever arose, court filings suggest.
The defendants made insufficient or no effort to locate and compensate those copyright owners, the class action says.
“In this case, copyright owners have been well-served by a timely and reasonable resolution of a complex problem. We look forward to the distribution of the outstanding payments in accordance with the settlement,” said plaintiff’s counsel Paul Bates of Bates Barristers.
The class action also accused the Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency (CMRRA) and Société du droit de reproduction des auteurs, compositeurs et éditeurs au Canada (SODRAC), which collect and distribute royalties, on behalf of members, of not doing their job.
Both the CMRRA and SODRAC have agreed to co-operate and assist with the class action in return for being cleared of liability.
The proposed agreement also includes ways to expedite future royalty payments to music owners.
"Equally welcome will be the creation of a new licensing system that will keep the pending list problem from building up again. This solution has been needed for many years,” said Alain Lauzon, general manager of SODRAC.
The Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Toronto will hear submissions from stakeholders on Feb. 14 before approving the settlement.
Record labels to pay $47.5M to songwriters
January 10, 2011 | 14:39
Stefania Moretti- Money
Four of Canada’s biggest record labels have agreed to pay songwriters and music publishers $47.5 million in damages for copyright infringement and overdue royalties to settle a class action lawsuit.
Sony Music Entertainment Canada Inc., EMI Music Canada Inc., Universal Music Canada Inc. and Warner Music Canada Co. will pay the plaintiffs, led by the estate of legendary jazz musician Henry “Chet” Baker. He died in 1988.
The 2008 class action alleges that the record companies “exploited” music owners by reproducing and selling in excess of 300,000 song titles without securing licenses from the copyright owners and/or without paying the associated royalty payments.
The record companies knowingly did so and kept a so-called “pending list” of unlicensed reproductions, setting aside $50 million for the issue, if it ever arose, court filings suggest.
The defendants made insufficient or no effort to locate and compensate those copyright owners, the class action says.
“In this case, copyright owners have been well-served by a timely and reasonable resolution of a complex problem. We look forward to the distribution of the outstanding payments in accordance with the settlement,” said plaintiff’s counsel Paul Bates of Bates Barristers.
The class action also accused the Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency (CMRRA) and Société du droit de reproduction des auteurs, compositeurs et éditeurs au Canada (SODRAC), which collect and distribute royalties, on behalf of members, of not doing their job.
Both the CMRRA and SODRAC have agreed to co-operate and assist with the class action in return for being cleared of liability.
The proposed agreement also includes ways to expedite future royalty payments to music owners.
"Equally welcome will be the creation of a new licensing system that will keep the pending list problem from building up again. This solution has been needed for many years,” said Alain Lauzon, general manager of SODRAC.
The Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Toronto will hear submissions from stakeholders on Feb. 14 before approving the settlement.