Luxembourg slammed over collective rights management rules

The European Commission has formally asked the European Court of Justice (ECJ) to sanction Luxembourg over its failure to notify the full transposition of EU collective rights management rules into national law.

In a statement on December 7, the Commission called on ECJ to financially sanction four EU member states – Luxembourg, Romania, Bulgaria and Spain – for failing to notify the EU executive cabinet of complete transposition of the EU directive into their national legislations.

The Commission is asking the ECJ to impose financial penalties on Luxembourg amounting to €12,920 per day.

The other three members states are risking daily financial sanctions of  €42,377 in the case of Romania, €19,121 for Bulgaria and €123,928 for Spain.

Adopted in 2014, the collective right management directive focuses on copyright and related rights, as well as multi-territorial licensing of rights in musical works for online use.

It is a key part of the EU's copyright legislation and aims to ensure rightholders have a say in the management of their rights.

The directive also seeks to improve the functioning and accountability of collective management organisations.

All EU member states had to transpose the directive before 10 April 2016.

The infringement proceedings against the four member states to be sanctioned were initiated by the Commission in 2016.