What is the ZPÜ and what does it have to do with GEMA?

ZPÜ (Zentralstelle für private Überspielungsrechte) is a conglomeration of German collective management organisations. It is the task of ZPÜ to collect fees from the manufacturers of blank media and storage media and devices in Germany so that the creators can be compensated for a part of the losses arising to them due to the copied contents.  Devices and media affected by said statutory provision are, for example, DVD burners, USB sticks or blank CDs. ZPÜ pays out its income to its associates. Following a pre-defined distribution key, the collective management organisations then pay out said fees to their own members.