GEMA and YouTube reach crucial agreement
After lengthy negotiations, YouTube LLC, operator of the popular online video community YouTube, and GEMA (Gesellschaft für musikalische Aufführungs- und mechanische Vervielfältigungsrechte) have at least reached a crucial agreement. It authorises the use of the worldwide repertoire of musical works on the YouTube platform. This agreement enables music to be used both in music videos and in videos created by users.
"We welcome the launch of YouTube in Germany and are delighted at this important agreement", commented Harald Heker, Chief Executive Officer of GEMA. "Under this arrangement, German YouTube users can enjoy the worldwide repertoire of music on YouTube. At the same time, it has a balancing effect for music authors and publishers represented by GEMA. This shows that fair agreements can be found for all parties involved in Web 2.0 services."
"With YouTube we are offering German users a platform for music videos and videos produced by the YouTube users themselves, which contain the impressive repertoire of GEMA’s authors and music publishers. We are therefore delighted at the partnership with GEMA", said Patrick Walker, Director of Video Partnerships for YouTube in EMEA. "We are all the more pleased to be able to announce this partnership simultaneously with the official launch of the German YouTube platform."
About YouTube
YouTube is one of the most popular video platforms in the Internet, on which millions of people can discover and watch videos and share them other users. YouTube offers a forum for establishing contacts worldwide, informing and inspiring other people. It is a platform for those producing their own contents as well as for both large and small scale advertisers. YouTube LLC with its head office in San Bruno, California, is a subsidiary of Google Inc.
About GEMA
In Germany, GEMA represents the copyrights of more than 60,000 members (composers, lyricists and music publishers) as well as those of over one million rights owners from all corners of the world. It is one of the world’s largest authors’ societies for works of music.
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