Labels in Colombia are awaiting a decision from the country’s National Office of Author’s Rights that will determine the way performance rights fees are collected from local music-video channels. The pending decision is in response to a dispute between six multinational labels that operate in Colombia and TV network Channel 13.
This month, the six labels — Sony, EMI, Universal, Warner, Sum, BMG and local company FM — charged Channel 13 directly for performance rights to their music videos. Formerly, the fees had been collected by Colombian rights society Assn. of Phonographic Producers and Artists, in the same way it collects for recorded music. Now, the labels want TV channels like Channel 13 to pay them directly.
Because there are no laws in Colombia governing music-video rights, the labels and Channel 13 have said they will abide by the decision of the Office of Author’s Rights. Until then, Channel 13 is not airing any of the labels’ videos.
