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Why is it a win for most ordinary people that GEMA is so handsomely rewarded for limiting content? It is not a good thing at all, it emboldens them. Who does GE

by Kequc 10y ago

Why is it a win for most ordinary people that GEMA is so handsomely rewarded for limiting content? It is not a good thing at all, it emboldens them. Who does GEMA think that they are? You give Netflix as an example, that isn't going to be resolved any time soon following this deal. GEMA shouldn't exist.

candiodari 10y ago
In theory ? Same reason as copyright. The idea behind GEMA is to create a centralized organization for enforcing copyright. Instead of owing royalties to U2 for playing their songs in a cafe, you'd owe them to GEMA, who'd pay them to U2 according to how often they're played (I believe radio playlists are used as metrics to determine payouts). Secondly, any hard drive or other "blank recording media", such as usb sticks has a 10% surtax most of which goes to GEMA. Funny little details that suck about GEMA: 1) assumption of guilt. You have an event, even some birthday parties, you have to prove, by submitting playlists (paying "handling fees" for the privilege) and they may check, also not free to you. 2) one-sided, no government oversight on what is effectively an extra tax 3) they have pissed off just about everyone, including their beneficiaries 4) they're very heavy-handed In practice ? They're just leeches, they don't pay significant amounts to anyone despite getting quite a bit of money in. Even extremely famous artists that were famous for decades get something like a normal pay from the playing of their songs. Everybody hates them, their "customers" (ie. those who play music) and their beneficiaries. GEMA claims their costs are 15% of what is paid in. In practice it certainly looks to me like it's more like 80%. So it really just creates another abusive government monopoly with cushy jobs for a few government favored people. Additionally it creates a few (tiny) free (for the government) subsidies using a privately-levied tax, given to "cultural" institutions like orchestras and other such things nobody goes to anymore. Not enough to prevent them from dying, so even they are not happy.
- biafra 10y ago
  We need a competitor to get rid of the GEMA assumption.
- pjmlp 10y ago
  As I mentioned in another thread, I feel that they alongside GEZ, just are a kind of government sponsored mafia kind of thing. Specially if I believe the stories how their employees sometimes coerce people to pay.

by Kequc 10y ago

candiodari 10y ago

In theory ? Same reason as copyright. The idea behind GEMA is to create a centralized organization for enforcing copyright. Instead of owing royalties to U2 for playing their songs in a cafe, you'd owe them to GEMA, who'd pay them to U2 according to how often they're played (I believe radio playlists are used as metrics to determine payouts). Secondly, any hard drive or other "blank recording media", such as usb sticks has a 10% surtax most of which goes to GEMA. Funny little details that suck about GEMA: 1) assumption of guilt. You have an event, even some birthday parties, you have to prove, by submitting playlists (paying "handling fees" for the privilege) and they may check, also not free to you. 2) one-sided, no government oversight on what is effectively an extra tax 3) they have pissed off just about everyone, including their beneficiaries 4) they're very heavy-handed In practice ? They're just leeches, they don't pay significant amounts to anyone despite getting quite a bit of money in. Even extremely famous artists that were famous for decades get something like a normal pay from the playing of their songs. Everybody hates them, their "customers" (ie. those who play music) and their beneficiaries. GEMA claims their costs are 15% of what is paid in. In practice it certainly looks to me like it's more like 80%. So it really just creates another abusive government monopoly with cushy jobs for a few government favored people. Additionally it creates a few (tiny) free (for the government) subsidies using a privately-levied tax, given to "cultural" institutions like orchestras and other such things nobody goes to anymore. Not enough to prevent them from dying, so even they are not happy.

biafra 10y ago
We need a competitor to get rid of the GEMA assumption.
pjmlp 10y ago
As I mentioned in another thread, I feel that they alongside GEZ, just are a kind of government sponsored mafia kind of thing. Specially if I believe the stories how their employees sometimes coerce people to pay.