Dear Readers,
2020 is nearly over - what an exceptional year. But we are in the midst of the second lockdown. The necessary restrictions to combat the corona pandemic have once again hit artists and creatives with full force. They are shaking one of our most important social foundations: cultural institutions and artistic diversity.
In spite of that, the past year has been proof of an extraordinary level of creativity and solidarity. The industry has, despite a seemingly hopeless situation, developed unprecedented ideas in order to keep culture alive and to resuscitate it. Side by side, creatives from all sectors are fighting for support programmes.
In 2020, we too have done our utmost to support our rights holders: Apart from corona relief schemes and advance payments to our rights holders, we have continuously worked to support our creatives and their partners. To date, we have paid out a total of EUR 233m to our rights holders (as at: 30/11/2020). Good to know: The remuneration from collective management organisations/music licensing organisations has no effect on the special economic support measures granted by the Federal Government in November and December.
The crisis is not over yet. All the more reason for us to support you in 2021. We wish you relaxing holidays and stay well!
Your GVL
Review of our 2020 distributions
© Stefan Wieland
GVL and its Shareholders and Delegates reiterate their criticism on the draft of the new copyright law
On 13 November 2020, the GVL Assembly of Shareholders and Delegates (ASD) got together at the third meeting of the year. All Delegates and Shareholders underlined the need for change of the draft for the new copyright law regarding upload platforms. GVL had already taken a critical stance regarding this issue on 6 November 2020 (here in German).
Detlev Tiemann, Chairman of the ASD, says: “The current draft version of the law reverts the protection of the creatives and their partner into the opposite. As a representative of the GVL rights holders, we, the entire governing body, distance ourselves clearly from the current deliberations of the BMJV [Federal Ministry of Justice]. The threshold for petty amounts is an insult. Creative performances hold value from the very first second onwards; this must consequently be taken into account as such in the law.”
Please click here (in German) for further information on the ASD.
Assembly of Shareholders and Delegates (ASD) decides on grant projects 2021
In its November meeting, the ASD traditionally also discussed the cultural-political grants for the following year. In total, the governing body allocated 34 grant projects for 2021, among those support for OPUS Klassik, the VUT Indie Days and the German Actors’ Award which has its 10th anniversary in 2021. You can access an overview of the supported initiatives and projects here.
“Thank you for this very good news! We are very happy about this support! It helps us to be able to hold more concerts and live streams in 2021.” (Thorsten Hesse, Handiclapped – Kultur Barrierefrei e.V.)
“You would not believe what a joy this grant gives us in these gloomy times of playing bans. And, to me personally in particular, because this letter reaches me on my birthday and is thus a wonderful birthday present.” (Sascha von Donat, Artistic Director at the Opernwerkstatt am Rhein)
“It was with great pleasure that I received your message and have reported it to our team and the event organiser. We see your promise as a confirmation for our work and as a great encouragement to continue. There is a light at the end of the tunnel and we are all well and flexibly on track to turn next summer into a musical summer again. Such a much longed-for opportunity for young musicians to finally perform again.” (Dr. Gabriele Minz, Young Euro Classic)
© Kornelia Boje
3 questions for...
… Bernhard F. Störkmann, Shareholders’ Representative of the BFFS, and Dr Till Völger, GVL Delegate for the dubbing actors and member of the BFFS Board:
Which topics at GVL are particularly important to the BFFS as a GVL shareholder in the coming year?
A lot has already been done but there still is a very long way ahead of us. Furthermore, the most pressing task is that GVL structures the remuneration for rights holders in such a way that a smooth and frictionless process is guaranteed. We still face technical and legal hurdles here which we have to surmount. As a shareholder of GVL, the BFFS is going to continue to work on holding the legislator accountable to create the necessary framework conditions. In the film sector, for example, it is essential that an effective data processing is ensured by way of unique identifiers - such as the so-called ISANs.
We hope that in 2021 the actors will again perceive GVL as their collective management organisation into whose work they trust and where they feel their rights management is in good hands. It is therefore also an essential cornerstone that GVL provides information on its important work in an attractive manner so that the messages are understood when they reach the actors.
After all this, however, we are also very confident that these tasks can be mastered. We know from various meetings, personal conversations and new initiatives that the GVL staff members are in this with a lot of energy and passion. We already owe thanks for these efforts, even if there still is quite a way for us to cover yet.
Click here for detailed answers to the other two questions:
What is your conclusion for the creative sector in 2020?
In 10 years’ time, what are actors going to say when they talk about 2020?
GVL in dialogue
2020 has also been a special year for GVL: We received a multitude of questions regarding many topics on the perception of the neighbouring and related rights. In order to be able to explain the GVL world even better and to respond directly to the concerns of our rights holders, we have launched the “GVL talk” and the “GVL online seminars”. In the past few months, we have held about 20 online seminars, talks and regulars’ tables for and with our rights holders, some of them in cooperation with our shareholders. We cordially invite you: Be a part of it and let us start the conversation!
Please click here for further information on our events.
Without you, it’ll be quiet
The stages are empty, the curtains are closed. The second lockdown in the cultural sector has exacerbated the situation for many of our rights holders even more. Against this background, we at GVL have taken a stand behind the demands of the music and creative industries. We ask of politicians to carry out a solidarity feat of strength to ensure the survival of our cultural and creative sectors which are so closely interlinked in the pandemic.
Please click here for further information.
Publication of the 2020 Music Industry Study
In the course of the music dialogue in Hamburg, parts of the 2020 Music Industry Study (in German) have already been presented. The complete study "The Music Industry in Germany" is now available: www.gvl.de/musikwirtschaftsstudie-2020 (here in German)
In his welcoming address to the study, Guido Evers, Managing Director of GVL, emphasises:
"When we launched the new edition of the Music Industry Study together with the other associations, none of the participants had any idea of the exceptional historical situation which would surround the survey. The timing of the survey makes the results all the more valuable as it puts the economic and financial momentum generated by the corona crisis into tangible figures. At the same time, the study shows the economic strength of the music industry and its remarkable development in recent years. This complex industry, whose sub-sectors are closely interwoven, is on the right track - against this background, solutions must now be found to protect creatives and their partners from the effects of the pandemic".
New management duo at the Initiative Musik
Since early Oktober 2020, Tina Sikorski (on the left in the picture) has been the second Managing Director of the Initiative Musik apart from Ina Keßler. Together, the duo dedicates itself to the growing range of tasks of the supporting organisation. Tina Sikorski is in charge of the area events, export, new business and cooperation projects.
Dr. Tilo Gerlach and Guido Evers, Managing Directors of GVL:
“We are delighted to welcome Tina Sikorski on board of the Initiative Musik. Her arrival is proof of the impressive path the Initiative Musik has taken in recent years. Apart from the promotion of young German musicians, many central issues have recently been added. They can now be tackled jointly and with double the energy by the new team of Managing Directors. GVL will support the new duo in word and deed.”
Further information can be found here (in German).
GVL chronicle: GVL “Christmas money”
Since 2010, we have used a digital system for our distributions and based them on the use of artistic productions. Previously, GVL only distributed its collected funds to its rights holders once a year, in December. The basis of that old distribution system for performers was the income, or the professional fees, that rights holders had reported to us by way of submitting so-called declaration forms (picture) by the end of June of the following year. However, with a massive increase in numbers of our rights holders and the advancing internationalisation of GVL, it became necessary to adapt the old system to the internationally prevailing usage-based distribution system which is in force today. Since then, it is the broadcasts and transmissions that are authoritative for the performers, irrespective of whether or not they have actually earned professional fees in that year or not.
You can read more about GVL's 60-plus-year history here.