CISAC and its members count the full costs on creators and users of a recent Commission Decision Paris, July 16, 2008 – CISAC regrets a recent Decision of the European Commission which targets 24 authors’ societies in the European Economic Area. The Decision concerns the reciprocal representation contracts existing between those societies for certain exploitations of musical works via the internet, satellite and cable.

The membership issue raised by the Commission has been overtaken by events a long time ago. The interests of the individual creator lie at the heart of collective administration. The principle that creators are free to join whatever society they choose is therefore already well established and widely applied by societies throughout the EEA. As for the issue of exclusivity, the EEA societies have accepted for decades that contracts between them should be based on non-exclusive arrangements.