Elbows Music Blog Community

The European Commission is planning to reform regulation around
collecting societies — the groups that mediate between rights-holders
and service providers — aiming to simplify cross-border music licensing.
In a press release,
the Commission notes that "new digital technologies are opening up
great opportunities for creators, consumers and businesses alike," but
acknowledges that existing laws are inadequate to deal with licensing
demands of international music stores such as Apple's iTunes.

iTunes is available in every one of the European Union's 27 member states, more than any other legal music service. But, as the New York Times points out,
it accounts for just 19 percent of recording industry revenue across
the EU. By contrast, iTunes generates almost half of equivalent revenue
in the US, according to figures from the IFPI industry body.

The proposed changes would force collecting societies to comply with
strict new standards, including a requirement to publish an annual
transparency report. The ultimate aim is to prevent situations where
societies are too disorganised or ill-equipped to engage in
international revenue collection, choosing to simply restrict
distribution instead of offering suitable licenses.

http://www.theverge.com/2012/7/11/3151286/eu-international-music-licensing-reforms

"Licensing Society" should be abolished period. They are de facto monopoly arm for 4 labels cartel, it has nothing to do with "licensing" or "Society" nevermind music. Most of these society is nothing but slush fund for political corruption, accounting manipulation or international money laundering. They are cheating on everybody. They are ruining music and major source of political corruption. Pure fraud.

Transaction should be directly between Label and digital distributor/store. Or even better artist directly to digital consumer. Things should work like computer app/video games, etc. A unit of digital file. developer, user, with one or two middle ware.