BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The draft law of the European Union to give musicians more control over their copyright has angered bands like Radiohead and Pink Floyd, who accuse the European Commission to break its promises to address the problem of default suffering.
The commission announced on Wednesday a bill designed to ensure that companies that collect copyright on behalf of the artists also have them delivered to the musicians, composers and producers involved in each subject.
"We are deeply disappointed by his choice to defend the minority of managers and shareholders," said a letter signed by Nick Mason of Pink Floyd, Radiohead's Ed O'Brien, British singer Sandie Shaw, producer and director CJ Bolland of Younison, a pressure group formed by artists, Kelvin Smits.
According to the Commission's own assessment, the rights management companies - of which more than 250 operating in Europe - kept "substantial sums" in its books pending distribution.
In a striking analysis before Wednesday's announcement, the Commission said that in 2010 the leading management companies were 3,600 million euros in right of authors to the creators.
The artists say the figure is actually much higher and that the managers have no incentive to pay quickly, profitability gives them keep the money.
Between five and 10 percent of payments are retained for at least three years after his recovery, the Commission said.
The bill, which need approval by the European Parliament and of the 27 Member States, said that companies will have 12 months of the fiscal year in which the song plays to pay 'royalties'. And the funds owned by the issues identified will not be theirs after five years.
"They have broken their promises and encourage managers to management companies to retain the fruits of our creativity" read the letter of the artists to the Commission. "They Steal our hopes."
The musicians say a grace period of five years only encourage the managers to keep the money they owe, and reduces incentives to find the owners of those rights.
"This way legitimize one of the most problematic forms of fraud made by the rights management companies in Europe," added the document.
The managers say they try to pay the copyright owners as fast as possible and that many already do fertilizers earlier than the bill asks.
PRS in the UK make your payments every three months, said Veronique Desbrosses, Secretary General of GESAC, which represents 33 of these companies in the European Union.
"And sometimes it is difficult to find the owners because they are all over the world," he added.
The law also seeks to curb piracy by expanding the number of songs that can be played online as Apple's iTunes service, which needs the permission of managers before offering.
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