VUT becomes the fourth shareholder of GVL
“We are pleased to have gained the VUT as another shareholder by our side, which is going to support members’ interests with a lot of effort and empathy and thus gives them a strong voice when it comes to managing their rights” say Guido Evers and Dr. Tilo Gerlach, Managing Directors of GVL.
Dr. Florian Drücke, Chairman & CEO of the Federal Association of the Music Industry (BVMI): "We are pleased that, after many discussions, the contract has now been signed and that BVMI and VUT will now jointly supervise the sound recording side within GVL. Particularly in an increasingly differentiated market, any additional perspective on the role of collective rights management is very welcome."
The association is represented in the GVL shareholder committees by VUT Managing Director Jörg Heidemann. "We are excited about our new role as co-shareholders of the GVL and are pleased that the independent music entrepreneurs now have another opportunity to participate in the GVL committees. As an association that has been insisting on change for years, we would like to contribute our ambition in the interests of our members, as well as our international expertise through our work at IMPALA, in order to contribute in particular to the issues of transparency and distributive justice.”
"We welcome the fact that, following the example of the performers' side, the inclusion of the VUT as a shareholder has now also created an even broader basis for the exercise of ancillary copyrights on the producer side," says Gerald Mertens, Managing Director of the German Orchestra Association (DOV).
Bernhard F. Störkmann, Managing Legal Adviser of the BFFS: "The BFFS warmly welcomes the VUT and is pleased that the independent record producers are now also represented in the GVL at shareholder level. We hope for a constructive cooperation with the aim that our joint collective management organisation/music licensing company will continue to successfully manage the rights of the rights holders we represent in the future.”
GVL’s committee structure
Against the background of the new Collecting Societies Act (VGG) the GVL has adapted its Articles of Association as well as its organisational structure. By doing so, the prerequisite to be able to accept new shareholders been created. At the core of GVL’s committees stands the Assembly of Shareholders and Delegates. It is made up of its shareholders – BVMI, BVMI, DOV and now the VUT – as well as the 22 delegates that have been elected in the course of the Assembly of Rights Holders. The Assembly of Shareholders also elects a supervisory committee where one representative per rights holder category (artists, producers) monitors the work of the Managing Directors.
The VUT takes over company shares from the German Music Industry Association (BVMI). The DOV and BFFS shares remain unchanged. The commercial register entry is being carried out at the moment. GVL’s Articles of Association are going to be adapted accordingly as soon as possible and expanded by the VUT.
About GVL:
Those who render artistic performances or create the respective financial basis for the latter must receive money for the exploitation of their performances. GVL, the society for the administration of neighbouring rights, captures and manages such exploitations.
GVL pays the fees it collects on a fiduciary basis from radio and TV stations, for example, and for the public performance (e.g. in restaurants or cafés) to its members in the form of a remuneration. Approximately 160,000 performers, producers of sound recordings and audiovisual recordings, music and music video clip producers as well as event organisers have placed their trust in GVL on a global level - and thus make GVL one of the biggest collective management organisations/music licensing companies for neighbouring rights in the world. At the same time, the GVL represents the largest classical repertoire worldwide.
Shareholders of GVL are the German Orchestra Association (DOV), the Federal Association of the Music Industry (BVMI) as well as the Federal Acting Association (BFFS) and the VUT.