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EU: International copyright organization merger blocked

By  |  January 15, 2015

The unification of three European music copyright organizations was scheduled to start this year, but the European Commission (EC) has blocked the deal and launched an investigation into the merger. UK PRS for Music Limited, Swedish STIM and German GEMA announced the plan to unite their online copyrights back in 2013, but the EC has started an investigation based on its preliminary findings that suggest that the merger could increase prices and worsen market conditions.

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    The companies stated that they wish to reduce licensing and distribution challenges they currently face and help smaller music ventures reach across a broader European base. Additionally, it would help to solve the problem of split-copyright invoicing allowing correct recording of copyrights into the system. The EC is now asking interested parties to provide more detailed information and has stated that the majority of notified mergers do not pose competition problems and are approved after a routine review.

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