08. 02. 2013

NEW PROTOCOL WITH GREATER DISCOUNTS ON THE FEE CHARGED BY SOKOJ

Belgrade, February 8, 2013 - The Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) announces it has signed with SOKOJ a new Protocol providing for discounts on the minimum fee for the use of copyrighted music works by radio and TV stations for the year 2013.

ANEM reminds that it signed with SOKOJ, in early September last year, a Protocol providing for discounts for the payment of the minimum fee for 2012. Under that document, a 50% discount was provided for on the minimum fee, which discount was applied through regional discounts where they already existed, in line with the applicable tariff. That practically meant that the stations paid the fee with a discount on the base tariff in the amount of 65% in Eastern and Southern Serbia, 60% in Western and Central Serbia, 55% in Vojvodina and 50% in Belgrade and Novi Sad.

The new Protocol ensures an even higher discount for 2013, in the amount of 60% on the applicable tariff. Just like last year, it shall be applied through regional discounts. Accordingly, the stations will be able to pay the fee with a discount on the base tariff, namely 60% in Belgrade and Novi Sad, 64% in Vojvodina, 68% in Western and Central Serbia and up to 72% in Eastern and Southern Serbia. Civil sector stations and local stations, which broadcast most of their program in one or several minority languages, will be able to pay the fee with a discount on the base fee in the amount of 75%.

The Protocol will come into force eight days after it is published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia. All stations, regardless of the existence of any old debts or even disputes with SOKOJ, will be entitled to the aforementioned discounts, provided they have valid contracts, that they pay the fee within the terms provided for in the estimates, which terms shall not be less than 15 days, as well as that they are regularly submitting lists of broadcast music works. For the first quarter of this year, the lists will be submitted by e-mail, after which they will be entered directly on the SOKOJ online portal. In the meantime, SOKOJ shall organize training for using their portal for submitting the lists, whereas the representatives of a number of stations have already attended such training. ANEM invites other stations to join the training program and settle all dilemmas regarding the new model for submitting the lists. ANEM and SOKOJ will monitor and review the results of the training and of the use of the portal in order to promptly remedy any problems.

The Protocol has once again extended the deadlines for paying the fees for the second half of last year. Accordingly, the broadcasters will be able to pay the fee for the third quarter of 2012 by April 15 and those for the fourth quarter by August 1, 2013. Stations with debts from the previous period shall have the opportunity to enter into agreements with SOKOJ under which they will be able to pay the debts in several monthly installments under certain conditions, depending if they were taken to court over these debts by SOKOJ or not.

ANEM wishes to remind that it has conducted these negotiations not only on behalf of, but also in the interest of its members, as the representative association of broadcasters that are the users of music works under the Law on Copyright and Related Rights. That means that, apart from ANEM members, all other radio and TV stations will be entitled to benefit from the agreed discounts and conveniences. ANEM is grateful to all those who during the negotiations helped it with their support, advice and suggestions, to define more clearly the positions of the entire sector. We are especially pleased with the support of other organizations, which we have constantly communicated with and informed about the course of the negotiations, for the signature of the Protocol: RAB Serbia, the Syndicated Radio-Television Stations of Serbia and the Group of Broadcasting Organizations of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce.

ANEM will continue to advocate that the year 2013 be used for further negotiations that will hopefully result in a brand new and more realistic tariff. Until that goal is reached, ANEM calls upon its members, but also all other broadcasters in Serbia, to take advantage of the discounts and conveniences provided for under the new Protocol.

ANEM President, Sasa Mirkovic